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Connecting Experience
Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
Humans consume a lot. Whether water, food, or energy, it also means that we produce a large amount of waste. Achieving Goal 12 requires all of us to consume fewer single-use plastics, recycle and reuse what we can, and consider buying only sustainably-sourced products.
Tasks
Carbon Bingo
Wake up points
| Age Group: 7+ | Amount of people: 10+ |
Time: 30 minutes
Objective:
To learn about the ecological footprint, to think about their consumption, to learn more about each other.
Material:
Papers with the bingo, pen
Instructions:
Begin by asking a few questions to the group:
- How many people live on Earth? 7.5 million
- Is there more land or water on Earth? Water
- Can we live everywhere? No, some places are too dry, cold or isolated
- Are humans evenly distributed? No
Globally, humans use much more of the planets resources than can regenerate each year.
When we calculate the resources we use, it’s called our ecological or carbon footprint.
Together, we can take some actions to reduce our negative impact on the planet.
Game:
Each participant gets a bingo sheet (below), they must then go and talk to each other to find someone who this action applies to. If you have a large group, you can add the rule that you should not have the same person twice on the card.
The first person to complete their card wins.
Debrief:
- Do you know any other actions you can take to reduce your footprint?
Carbon Footprint
Wake up points
| Age Group: 11+ | Amount of people: 1+ |
Time: 40 minutes
Objective:
To learn about the carbon footprint, to think about their consumption.
Material:
papers, internet access or library, pen
Instructions:
Start by discussing what they think is meant by a carbon footprint, what actions they think increase or decrease the effect.
Carbon footprint is a calculation of the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual, organisation, or community.
Do the test to find out your carbon footprint.
https://www.footprintcalculator.org/
Debrief:
- Was your carbon footprint bigger than you expected?
- What are some ideas you have to lower your impact?
Local visit!
Look around points
| Age Group: 7+ | Amount of people: 3+ |
Time: 1 or 2 hours
Objective:
To learn about the innovation around them, to discover another way to consume.
Material:
n/a
Instructions:
Find someone in your area such as a craftsman or farmer, that is making or growing their own product and selling it local.
Go and meet them to find out the benefits of what they are doing.
Discuss with them the advantages of shopping from local people and companies rather than buying things from the internet or large companies.
Local Shopping Guide
Look around points
| Age Group: 11+ | Amount of people: 3+ |
Time: 2 or 3 meetings
Objective:
To learn about the innovation around them, to discover another way to consume.
Material:
Paper, pen, computer
Instructions:
Set participants the task to discover where in their area you can buy local products, rather than ones made by large companies.
Gather information about these businesses and products, such as the address, contact details, and a little information about the owner and the things that they are selling.
Together, create a guide to shopping in your area, you can include benefits of buying locally, the details about the different business etc.
When you create your guide, share it online so everybody in your area can enjoy it.
Zero Waste Cooking Contest
ACT points
| Age Group: 7+ | Amount of people: 10+ |
Time: 4 hours
Objective:
To learn how to buy food with no plastic or packaging, to learn about seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Material:
Cooking supplies
Instructions:
In small groups, each team must plan a meal for the contest, they must use seasonal fruits and vegetables and make it as eco-friendly as possible. They must stay within the budget, and try to buy local products with little or no waste. They should cook enough for everyone in their team + 1 leader.
The team should plan their own shopping and be given a set amount of time to cook, we suggest 2 hours.
Leaders should taste each dish and award the teams points based on taste, creativity, how seasonal the ingredients are, how little waste they created.
Eco Challenge!
ACT points
| Age Group: 11+ | Amount of people: 3+ |
Time: 1 month
Objective:
To learn to consume differently.
Material:
n/a
Instructions:
As a group, challenge yourself to do a eco-friendly change in habit for at least a month.
For example: no plastic, no brand new clothes, no fast food, no meat…
Keep track of your progress with photos or in writing.
Get creative! And share this experience online.
Debrief:
- How did your feelings change throughout the challenge? Was it difficult to stick to your change?
- Did you make any exceptions? Why?
- What can you do to help yourself keep up this new eco-friendly habit?
