Education for Sustainable Development

Waste mangement is part of the wider issue of sustainable development, which provides both a stimulating context for learning across the curriculum. Teachers have a crucial role of educating students for the future, by helping students understand the impact of their actions on their own lifes, the lifes of others and the environment.

Clothing production has an emormous impact on the environment. For example cotton is the worlds most polluting crop, responsible for 25% of all pesticide used in the world each year, hundred of thousdands of cases of chemical poisoning and massive damage to the environment (Green choices, 2010).

Why work with recylced materials?

I believe that the challenge of working with limited materials encourages critical thinking.

• It inspires students to think of new solutions and techniques.


• Recycling brings new life to something that would otherwise be thrown away.


• It is cost effective and you always have an original one of a kind piece.


• Trashion and recycling materials is aimed at helping our already wounded planet.

Junk to Funk Trashion

My unit revolves around the concept of "Trashion". Just like it sounds, trashion is a combination of trash and fashion. Trashion is a philosophy and an ethic encompassing environmentalism and innovation. It is a term used for fashion items and objects which are created from used, thrown-out and recycled elements. Trashion is considered to be a form of recycling, which refers to repurposing things for new uses, rather than simply getting rid of them. In this unit of work, students will investigate elements of sustainable fashion, which is also called eco fashion. This is part of the growing design philosophy and trend of sustainability. This unit aims at inspiring individuals towards responsible consumerism, creative re-use and conscientious disposal by providing unique fashion based and educational opportunities. The unit encompasses the philosophy of restoring the earth by creatively transforming our engagement with materials. This idea encourages and inspires positive behavioural change by asking students to reconsider their consumption and disposal choices in an innovative and memorable way.