Plastic products, which have invaded every area of human life due to their lightweight, affordability, and durability, pose significant threats to both the climate and human health from production to consumption. According to the “World Economic Forum” (WEF), 8% of global oil use today is attributed to plastic production. Since plastic is a by-product of petroleum, its production increases carbon emissions and impacts health, as evidenced by the recent discovery of microplastics in human blood.
Greenhouse Gas Concentrations at Their Highest in 2 Million Years.
If the world continues this level of indifference, the threat will only escalate. This is because the world is not sufficiently aware of the dangers posed by the climate crisis. Governments are responsible for achieving net zero emissions by mid-century, but businesses, investors, cities, states, and territories must also fulfill their net zero commitments.
At this point, a group has focused on addressing the issue and has discovered a way to mitigate the world’s ongoing plastic addiction. What if I told you that this group is led by pioneers in education?
Photo 1: Pots made of paper waste
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A school in Istanbul (İstek Barış Middle School), one of the great metropolises of Turkey and the world, considers paper consumption in schools as a problem and designs recycled paper products as an alternative to plastic materials. Thus, it both reduces plastic production and increases the usage of paper through recycling. All stakeholders of this school take responsibility in this regard. Everyone, from the students to the parents, is committed to this work, from the implementation stage to the dissemination of the study.
Photo 2,3: The stage of pulping the waste papers and turning them into flower pots
At regular intervals, used paper is collected in special collection boxes in the school corridors, or students voluntarily bring their own paper waste. These papers are made into pulp by the project leader students and turned into flower pots, serving as an alternative to plastic flower pot products. In the paper pots, each class grows its own plant. Efforts are also being made to expand this initiative to parents. School parents request these pots voluntarily within the institutions they work for and support the project both locally and institutionally.
When we asked the school administrator who supported this work about the purpose of the action, he replied, "Our role is not just to be an educational institution, but to draw attention to the importance of our work as global climate activists with all our students."
Photo 4: (Paper pots in the school, parents' offices and homes)
The designed paper flower pots gain importance through the students’ own designs. "Within the school area, we want to promote these products as much as possible," said Halil Şahin, the School Director. This study creates environmental awareness at the same time. He draws attention to the significance of their work by saying, “The importance of growing a plant for our students has created awareness of environmental values and responsibility.”
The reason behind this seemingly small action is that “There may be an alternative to plastic in the world, and moreover, the remedy for low plastic production can again come from nature,” he comments.
Together with thousands of students and parents across its 22 campuses, the project is at a level that can be widely implemented, and for this, they are engaged in highly conscious efforts. At the very beginning of the initiative, all school stakeholders measured the level of awareness of global climate change through surveys.
The program was designed based on the results. Because this school no longer sees it as merely collecting waste for recycling—it approaches it as a purposeful initiative to instill environmental awareness and protect natural resources. The institution aims to foster environmental sensitivity by taking ownership of this work.
The Future Will Be Brighter If We Pay the Climate Crisis Bill Now
Changing and influencing the world positively does not require great effort; identifying and observing the problem is a significant step toward solving it. Schools play a vital role in ensuring the sustainability of environmental development and the continuity of future generations. This is because the level of consciousness, perceptions, and knowledge of individuals develops in schools. Environmental education should become a part of non-formal education within the scope of lifelong learning, and the foundation of sustainable development principles should begin in schools.
This case study begs the question: why shouldn’t it become a global action movement in education? Why not replace the plastic pots used in landscaping in all social and institutional areas? This is entirely possible. It is also highly valuable and meaningful for the future.
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