authors: FRAME team

It is virtually impossible to imagine today's world without the all-pervading consumerism. We have become used to the fact that the pursuit of new material goods has become our inseparable companion in life. A perfect symbol of today's consumerism is the fashion industry, which constantly encourages us to buy more. Without regard for our real needs, but only to meet ever newer trends. This phenomenon is further compounded by the promotion of harmful stereotypes about fashion and beauty. Advertisements for all sorts of brands tell us that we won't look good unless we buy clothes from the latest collection, or in this year's fashionable colour.

Such distortion of the truth leads to buying things just for the act of buying them and to a lowering of the consumer's well-being when, for example, they do not look as good in their newly purchased blouse as the model or the catwalk model. We can see this kind of behaviour very often in school age people, as adolescents often compare themselves to their idols whom they follow on Instagram, for example.

In order to show young people how to become conscious consumers, the Refashion for Good project has been set up, one of the aims of which is to make participants aware of how not to support activities that are damaging our planet by overproduction of clothes or littering our environment with clothes that could still be in use.

Who is the target group of the Refashion for Good project?

• Students and young people of school age  

• Teachers, educationalists

• Public institutions

• Fashion experts and entrepreneurs

• Social activists

How does Refashion for Good aim to achieve its goals?

The project aims to achieve the previously mentioned objectives by introducing young people to the 4Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink) in the context of fashion. This approach will create a society that cares about the environment and is aware of its impact on the surrounding world. There will be a number of presentations for the students to get to know the other side of the fashion industry that is not usually mentioned. In addition, they will be able to show off the work they do in class to other project participants from other partner countries via the RfG Multimedia Centre. Contact with other participants will create a sense of common purpose and facilitate a future free of prejudice.

Support for teachers

The project will organise a three-day workshop for teachers from the participating countries. During the training sessions, they will be introduced to the philosophy of living according to the 4Rs concept and will be equipped with the right tools to help them conduct their lessons better. In addition to the classroom sessions, there will also be a two-day online workshop for anyone interested in the subject.

Project's impact on local communities

Refashion for Good is a school education project, but its impact will definitely affect our everyday lives. The knowledge that students will acquire through the RfG will be an important factor in the local communities changing their attitudes towards the fashion industry and helping to change the world into a better and more enjoyable place to live.

Why the youth?

It is extremely important to start educating young Europeans on how to combat stereotypes about appearance and clothing and how not to over-consume, because these are the people who will largely build the future of our planet. They should know how huge is the threat posed by climate change and how they can oppose it on their own.

Simple solutions for huge problems

There are actually very few of us who are aware of how much environmental pollution is related to the fashion industry. Some say that by looking at the colour of the water of Chinese rivers, they are able to deduce what will be fashionable next year. This is a frightening statement and should make us think that change is necessary.

The truth is that if you want to change the world, first change yourself and those around you. Therefore, we should know that everyday habits can have a great impact on the environment and how little we would have to change in our lives to minimise our negative impact on the environment. We can certainly agree with the statement "small things, huge change" - is particularly relevant in this context. Quite obvious changes that as many people as possible should opt for are, for example, buying second-hand clothes and using washing powder more economically, which is a very good habit that should definitely be promoted. However, we also need to be aware of the existence of other simple but less obvious methods of supporting our environment, such as using washing machine ozonisers in our homes. These are just a few examples of interesting ways in which we can be more environmentally friendly, which you will be able to explore by participating in the RfG project.

RfG project partners are organisations from five EU countries

• NNY - Efterskolen for entreprenørskab & design (Denmark)
• FRAME– Foundation for the Development of International and Educational Activity (Poland)
• Stimmuli for social change (Greece)
• Associació Animacción Arterapia (Spain)
• Diapolitismiko Gymnasio Evosmou (Greece)
• People Of 2050 (Denmark)
• CESIE (Italy)

Find out more on: www.refashion4good.eu 

Follow us: www.facebook.com/RefashionForGoodProject 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rfg_erasmus_project/ 

and LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/rfg-refashion-for-good/ 

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.