Kick-off partner meeting in Łódź (Poland)
An opening meeting (11–12 July 2024) ensured a strong operational start: partners presented their institutions, aligned expectations, clarified roles, agreed on reporting and monitoring procedures, reviewed financial/administrative rules, and jointly confirmed the initial implementation plan and timeline.
International staff training in Zaragoza (Spain)
A three-day international training (21–23 October 2024) strengthened partner staff competences in working with secondary materials, circular design examples, and teaching methods relevant to trash design. The programme combined expert input, practical workshops, and peer exchange, and it also generated educational media content (recorded fragments and interviews) to support future promotion and learning. The training ultimately prepared participants to act as local trainers and multipliers in their own countries.
Development of the “Trash Designer Handbook” (multilingual)
A major dissemination and capacity-building output was produced: the “Trash Designer Handbook”, developed, edited, translated, and published as a multilingual resource. The final version reached 73 pages (significantly beyond the initial plan) and presents the profession, key concepts and distinctions (recycling/upcycling/trash design), required competences, sector applications, and a broad set of examples and case studies. The handbook was made available in five languages (EN, PL, IT, ES, RO) and distributed digitally (and partly in print) to maximise accessibility and long-term use.
Cascade trainings for VET art teachers in four countries
To ensure real educational uptake, partners implemented cascade trainings delivered in national languages by trainers who had attended the international course. These were structured as 18-hour courses and focused on strengthening teachers’ practical and methodological readiness to teach trash design locally. In total, 84 VET art teachers completed the trainings (Romania 20, Spain 24, Italy 25, Poland 15), and evaluation results indicated a strong increase in knowledge and confidence to implement the topic in school practice.
Thematic seminars for schools and decision-makers
Each partner country organised thematic seminars (4–5 hours) as a key dissemination action. Seminars presented the concept of trash design and its relevance to the circular economy, introduced the profession and concrete artistic examples, showcased project results, and facilitated discussion on how schools can integrate these themes into VET programmes. These events also served as networking spaces to build cooperation between schools and project institutions, and they generated strong interest in future implementation steps.
Lectures for students: “Trash designer” as a career path
In parallel, partners delivered student-oriented lectures (typically 2 hours) in each country, explaining what trash design is, what competences the profession requires, and how a future-oriented creative career can be built within sustainability and circular design. Overall, 148 students participated in these sessions across the partnership.
Recommendations for integrating trash design into VET art education
To enable lasting impact beyond individual workshops, the partnership developed an expanded set of recommendations for schools, designed not only as a strategic document but also as a practical implementation toolkit. The final resource includes separate subject, detailed lesson and project scenarios, evaluation tools, organisational guidance, and risk considerations—supporting schools in moving from inspiration to formal curriculum change.
Final partner meeting (Italy): evaluation and continuation planning
The closing meeting (25–26 September 2025) consolidated the project outcomes. Partners reviewed all implemented activities, evaluated the quality and relevance of results, discussed successes and challenges, and agreed on next steps for continued cooperation—aiming to maintain the network and support future initiatives around green competences and creative education.
