Základní školy Olomouc, Stupkova 16
School name
Základní školy Olomouc, Stupkova 16
City
Olomouc
Country
Czechia
Challenge taken
Food waste reduction
Year
2026
Shortly describe your project
Waste Olympics – Education to reduce waste
Project description
On October 22, 2024, students from class 6A at Olomouc Elementary School, Stupkova 16, took part in the Waste Olympics project focused on education to reduce waste and promote a sustainable lifestyle. The event is organized annually by the Sluňákov Ecological Center in cooperation with students from the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Science at Palacký University.
Project objectives
The project aims to provide practical education to pupils in the following areas:
- minimising the waste of natural resources
- responsible consumption and sustainable lifestyles
- waste prevention and proper waste sorting
- material reuse and recycling
Activities
Throughout the day, students actively completed practical tasks focused on reducing waste in various areas of everyday life:
- Water and energy consumption: Students learned how much water we actually consume in everyday activities such as washing and discussed ways to save water.
- Local vs. imported food: They researched the origin of common foods and found out how far fruit is transported to reach us, which led to reflection on the carbon footprint of our food.
- Natural alternatives: They tried making an eco-friendly pesticide from commonly available ingredients as an alternative to chemical products.
- The textile industry and the circular economy: They examined the materials used to make our clothes and looked for ways to reuse, repurpose, or recycle unwanted textiles instead of throwing them away.
- Practical recycling: Everyone tried their hand at making recycled paper, gaining first-hand experience with the principles of the circular economy.
Benefits of the project
The Waste Olympics project enabled students to combine theoretical knowledge with practical skills in the area of waste reduction. Through experiential learning, they acquired specific habits that they can apply in their everyday lives, thus becoming active agents of change towards a more sustainable society.