What’s in Your Closet?
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Overview
Humanities
1+ hour
13 – 21 years old
1-30
Objectives
- – knowledge of Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption Production
- – knowledge of consumption patterns
- – knowledge about sustainable consumption
- – knowledge about the benefits of reuse and recycling
Behavioural competences
- Innovative on trash/waste as a resource
- Recycling
- Responsible consumption
Reflections
- What are the consequences of your consumption?
Lifelong learning key competences
Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship
Social and civic competencies
Preparation
Other useful videos to introduce the goal/theme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3rXtb_Y2qc
Action on (over) consumption (3 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdkDiUAAeGY
#GlobalGoals 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Can you make it happen? (1 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7c9b9A2AHc
Responsible consumption — the soft power of story telling: Guido Palazzo at TEDxLausanne (t-shirt dilemma – 16 min.)
Made in China – Factory of the World – Documentary
Instructions
What’s in Your Closet?
In this activity, students will explore what they have in their closet – and examine their own generation’s consumption habits.
- Show the Youtube video: How Your T-Shirt Can Make a Difference | National Geographic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEExMcjSkwA
- Read the text ”Did you know…” (print out) (translated from: http://sustainable.dk/forbrug-og-baeredygtighed/5-forbrugssamfundets-klimapavirkning/)
- What is in your closet in terms of clothes and shoes? Make a list where you divide the articles into these categories: second-hand, all new, 6 months old, 1 year old, 2 years old, older.
- Make a statistics based on your group’s clothes and shoes.
- Present your results to the class.
Make a debate:
- What is sustainable consumption?
- Discuss the necessity of sustainable consumption.
- Who is responsible for sustainable consumption; politicians, the producers of goods, the individual consumers, etc.?
- What different agendas can the different political parties have?
- What conflicts of interests can arise?
- What would happen if all of us only reused?
How can one be a responsible consumer and still letting the wheels of society run?
Evaluation
Followup suggestions
Look at the other exercises connected to goal no. 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
Ideas for actions
“Recycle”, “Buy sustainable products including electronics, toys, shampoo or seafood and organic groceries”. Find more ideas for actions in the: “170 good ideas for daily actions to transform our world” here: http://www.youneedtoknow.ch/
Further information
Reflection Sheet
Appendix 1 – Your Closet