Zero Waste Project – IFMSA-Poland

Name of the activity: Zero Waste Project

Country/NMO: IFMSA-Poland

Program: Environment and Health

Contact information: contact [email protected] to get in touch with the Activity Coordinator

Type of the activity: Continuous Activity

Category: Education

Focus area: Climate Change

Sustainable Development Goals addressed: SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)

Problem statement:

High-income countries, Poland included, contribute disproportionately to the total amount of waste produced globally each year. In the science curriculum at schools in our country there is a persistent lack of ecological topics – sadly, it is the young generation that, due to rising consumerism, take large portion of responsibility for the unnecessary waste. It is imperative that students know how to alleviate the effects on the ecosystems and spread awareness of the global environmental issues.

Target groups:

• Children
• Youth

Beneficiaries:

• General population
• Children
• Youth

Objectives:

1. Educate at least 150 primary and secondary school students about the effects of overt waste production and improper waste management on the ecosystems around the globe through an interactive presentation during every year of the activity.
2. Provide at least 150 primary and secondary school students with at least 10 examples of how to reduce individual waste production in daily life through a group activity during every year of the activity.
3. Teach at least 150 primary and secondary school students to create at least 3 basic  tricks to create home-made ecological alternatives to popular cleaning supplies through an interactive presentation during every year of the activity.

Indicators of Success:

[1] At least 75% of participants are able to name at least 3 mechanisms in which waste accumulation negatively impacts the ecosystems by the end of the lesson

[2] At least 70% of participants are able to name at least 3 mechanisms in which one can reduce one’s waste footprint by the end of the lesson

[3] At least 70% of participants indicate that they are more likely to consider eco-alternatives to popular cleaning supplies at the end of the lesson

Methodology:

The Activity Coordinator serves as a contact point for schools and other educational institutions to schedule the lessons. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project is facilitated in both the in-person and online mode. The standard lesson lasts for 45 minutes and includes the following actions: short pre-evaluation, introduction to the topic (through open question-based stimulated discussion), group activity focusing on waste reduction strategies and short intermittent Power Point-based presentations (to keep the participants’ attention by not speaking at length). The activity itself is concluded by a short post-evaluation.

To ensure the highest standard of the activity, all volunteers who facilitate the project must take part in mandatory training session provided by the SCORP National Team.

Plans for evaluation:

Evaluation of every single lesson consists of pre-evaluation and post-evaluation. In order to reduce waste, all evaluation is conducted through Google Forms so that no paper is being used. The pre-evaluation form consists of basic questions to evaluate the knowledge of every incoming participant. The post-evaluation form is related to our indicators, i.e. participants are asked to (1) name at least 3 mechanisms in which waste accumulation negatively impacts the ecosystems (2) name at least 3 mechanisms in which one can reduce one’s waste footprint (3) state their opinion about and willingness to make eco-alternatives to popular cleaning supplies.

Another level of evaluation is the constant appraisal of the volunteers’ feelings and opinions regarding the sessions they facilitated. All relevant feedback is taken into account and considered by the AC and the SCORP National Team.

External collaborations:

none