Creative, Active, Responsible Students in the Digital World 1 | Page 13

CO-FUNDED BY THE ERASMUS + PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
The importance of making students aware of recycling and their responsibility towards
society – Social Recycling
By Helena Ramos
Agrupamento de Escolas do Forte da Casa, Portugal
Recycling is one of the best ways to have a positive environmental impact on the
world in which we live. Recycling is important to both, the natural environment and us. It is,
therefore, undoubtedly important that we act fast and efficiently as the amount of waste we
create is growing dangerously.
Due to the increasing wealth, people are buying more and more products, and there
are also emerging different lifestyles and new food habits, which ultimately contribute to the
global production of more waste. Unfortunately, a lot of new products come with non-
biodegradable packaging, although they are sold with the tag of green and biodegradability.
The fact, however, is that they are of inherent toxicity and non-biodegradable nature, which
represents a constant and terrible threat to ecology.
As a matter of fact, recycling is a very important issue, which we have to be focused
on if we want to prevent extinction and destruction. We simply have to follow environmental
changes and thoroughly avoid any kind of negative impact on the natural environment.
There is also an energetic point of view involved: making products from scratch requires
more energy than using materials already worked upon.
As a matter of fact, working with students from 11 to 13 represents a supreme effort
to bring recycling to a major important scenario – they have left their childhood behind from
a cognitive development point of view, though they are not adults yet, with an assertive
position regarding recycling. At this stage of life, they strongly are prone to peer pressure and
following trends. For that reason, it is crucial to make them understand that they have the
world in their hands and that recycling is, in fact, a “nature friendly trend”, which they have
the power to believe in and to control – they do matter, they do influence, they have an
important role in this world.
To make them aware of their influence in the world and the community they live in,
brings also extra power to the project students are involved in from the very beginning – and
they do have become more active and more responsible. When working with students this
age, we must bear in mind that some theorists call it development in context or human
ecology theory or ecological systems theory, originally formulated by Urie Bronfenbrenner.
This development specifies four types of nested environmental systems, with bi-
directional influences within and between the systems. Each system contains roles, norms and
rules that can powerfully shape development. Development of students in these environments
— from the family to economic and political structures — have come to be viewed as part of
the life course from childhood through adulthood and this is where we place our target
audience. In a stage where they start feeling they can influence and shape environments with
their actions.
Ecologic work and recycling activities enhance the students’ responsibility to
influence the world as they know it.
In a time where controversy has become in the centre of world as regarding global
warmth, ecological consciousness has become a rare and most welcome item – active and
responsible students going through childhood to small adults can and will make a difference.
CREATIVE, ACTIVE, RESPONSIBLE STUDENTS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
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