On 20 October 2025, 30 participants gathered at Ex Manifattura Tabacchi, Cagliari, for the Waste Chase workshop, an interactive and dynamic activity combining physical movement, teamwork, and creative waste repurposing.
Objectives:
Raise awareness about different types of waste and their environmental impact.
Teach practical solutions for reducing, reusing, and recycling waste.
Promote teamwork, physical activity, and problem-solving.
Encourage creativity by repurposing waste into a functional object.
Foster critical thinking about sustainable waste management practices.
Desired Outcomes:
Introduce participants to various waste management issues beyond classic materials, incorporating an element of rush and competition typical of sports.
Invite participants to use creativity to find artistic ways to reuse materials.
Description and Implementation:
The activity took place as part of a school meeting organized by the NGO, involving around 150-200 high school students to provide guidance on EU mobility and learning opportunities alongside workshops on Non-Formal Education methodology. Following an introduction to the STELLA project and its outcomes, participants moved to the exercise area. Due to space sharing with other simultaneous workshops, both an outside area and an indoor section were utilized, with the indoor tables serving as bases for each group. Following the standard workshop format, participants engaged across three stations featuring used sports clothing, cardboard, and plastic, culminating in a creative building table where they constructed new items from collected materials, which were then voted on by external attendees of the broader event.
Feedback:
Participants were satisfied and had a lot of fun practicing the activity.
They appreciated the combination of physical movement, brain-teasing questions, and the creative crafting element, as well as the use of the outside area.
Some participants noted that knowing in advance about the physical running involved would have helped them wear more appropriate clothing.
Results and Outcomes – Trainers/Facilitators:
The trainers learned that young people possess a strong interest in environmental topics, with varying degrees of involvement ranging from active engagement to casual interest, though overall interest levels remained very high. While there were no particular unexpected results, some of the participants’ final creations were remarkably impressive and creative. The outcomes matched expectations quite closely.
Conclusion and Recommendations:
To benefit the wider STELLA project and future activities, the following recommendations are suggested:
Make sure that participants are well informed in advance about the clothing requirements and physical activities foreseen.