Erasmus+ Project: “5R” (2020-2-TR01-KA105-095116)
Duration: August 2020 – November 2021
Countries Involved: 6
EU Grant: €20,480
Programme: Erasmus+ Youth Mobility
Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The world faces serious environmental challenges. According to the World Health Organization, millions of people die each year from diseases related to pollution. Yet, only a small amount of global waste is actually recycled.
The Erasmus+ 5R Project was created to raise young people’s awareness about these issues. The name “5R” stands for Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle — five key steps toward a more sustainable future. The project’s main goal was to increase zero waste awareness among youth and help them act responsibly in their communities.
Aims and Objectives
The 5R Project aimed to:
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Teach young people about waste management and environmental pollution.
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Increase motivation and skills for recycling and reusing materials.
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Help participants classify waste correctly and make responsible daily choices.
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Raise local awareness about recycling and sustainability.
By learning together and sharing experiences, participants discovered practical ways to protect the planet — and to live more consciously.
Learning Through Action
The project included participants aged 16 to 30 from Turkey, Germany, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Spain. It used fun, hands-on learning instead of traditional lessons. Activities included games, workshops, factory visits, and cultural exchanges.
Some of the most popular events were:
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Play with Me, Waste Bin: Learning to separate and collect waste.
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Waste Auction: A quiz about global waste problems.
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Recycling Factory Visit: Observing real recycling processes and talking to engineers.
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Again New, Again: Creating cloth bags, recycled clothes, and homemade eco-products.
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Zero Waste Festival: A public event with performances, workshops, and a clean-up of the Canikdere Waterfall in Trabzon.
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Organic Fertilizer Workshop: Turning food waste into compost.
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Re-Grow: Planting seeds from fruits eaten during the project.
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Carbon and Water Footprint Workshop: Learning how to measure and reduce environmental impact.
Each activity helped participants connect theory with practice — and spread what they learned to local communities.
Results and Impact
By the end of the project, participants had gained strong knowledge about waste management and environmental pollution. They learned to make eco-friendly decisions, such as using cloth bags, buying recyclable products, and reducing single-use plastics.
They also learned how to calculate their carbon and water footprints — and how to reduce them in everyday life. Participants began creating their own soaps, shampoos, and natural care products, discovering sustainable habits they could easily continue at home.
The project also inspired local action. Through exhibitions, street events, and the festival, citizens of Trabzon became more aware of recycling and zero waste ideas.
Cultural nights helped participants exchange traditions and values from different countries, promoting tolerance, creativity, and cooperation.
A Cleaner Future Starts with Youth
The 5R Project proved that change begins with awareness and small actions. Young people who joined the project now act as ambassadors of sustainability — teaching others how to live with less waste and more responsibility.
By building international cooperation and youth dialogue, the 5R Project showed that a zero waste world is possible — if we rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle together.
