🇮🇹 "Oops!... I Wasted It Again!" / 14-22.11.2024

From 14 to 22 November 2024, the coastal town of Santa Alessio Siculo, Sicily, became a space for discovery, collaboration, and transformation. “Oops!... I Wasted It Again!”, an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange, brought together 42 young people from Italy, France, Greece, Spain, North Macedonia, and Turkey with one shared mission: to explore and rethink our approach to food waste, sustainability, and responsible consumption.

Through non-formal education, we didn’t just talk about sustainability—we experienced it. Using interactive workshops, debates, team challenges, creative expression, and digital storytelling, we tackled key questions:

💡 Why does food waste happen, and how can we stop it?

🌍 How do different countries approach SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production)?

🎨 How can art, media, and technology inspire real change?

Between learning sessions and hands-on activities, we built a community—one that thrived not only in structured workshops but also through cultural nights, shared meals, informal discussions, and even karaoke sessions. This exchange was about more than just food waste; it was about rethinking habits, reshaping perspectives, and realizing the power we have to make an impact.

🧡 Icebreakers & Team Building

From the moment we arrived, the energy was contagious. Through icebreakers and team-building activities, we broke cultural barriers and built a strong sense of community. Together, we created our “Family Chart”, setting the ground rules for an inclusive, collaborative, and waste-conscious environment throughout the exchange.

🍽️ Cooking Together: No Waste Masterclass

One of the highlights of the exchange was our No-Waste Masterclass. Guided by a professional chef Rocco, participants learned how to cook delicious meals using minimal waste. We discovered food preservation techniques, creative ways to use leftovers, and the power of mindful consumption. More than just cooking, it was about rethinking our habits and understanding the value of every ingredient.

🌍☕️ Exploring Food Waste Together

In an interactive World Café discussion, we explored key issues related to food waste: who is responsible, what solutions exist, and how young people can drive change. Rotating between tables, we shared perspectives, debated ideas, and created action plans to take home.

🎨 Art & Awareness: Painting Sustainability

With brushes, acrylic paints, and recycled materials, we turned our reflections into powerful artistic statements. Participants created beautiful canvases and collages, visually representing the impact of food waste and sustainability. These works of art became a lasting reminder of the message we carried forward.

📲 Watch our Stories Highlights on Instagram!

🎙️🌱 Green Podcast

With professional microphones and a shared purpose, we turned conversations into powerful messages. Through interviews, discussions, and personal reflections, we captured diverse perspectives on food waste, sustainability, and the change we want to see in the world.

🎙️ Listen to the Full Podcast Playlist on YouTube! 🎧

🎬 Short Films & Storytelling: Giving Food Waste a Voice

Using film as a tool for activism, we created short videos and testimonials, blending creativity and awareness. Through storytelling, we captured real experiences, personal commitments, and solutions to reducing waste, turning our insights into impactful visual content.

🌯 Wrap Cinematic Video 🎥

📼 The Waste Monster

📼 Small Choices

📼 Waste Influence

📼 Think Before You Toss

📼 The Loop of Waste

🎙️Project Testimonials

🌍 Exploring Sicily: Savoca & Taormina

Beyond workshops, we immersed ourselves in Sicilian culture, visiting Savoca and Taormina, where we explored local traditions, sustainable food practices, and historical connections to mindful consumption. These cultural outings deepened our understanding of how different societies approach food and waste.

🏢 Meeting the Municipality of Messina

A special moment of recognition and exchange. We had the honor of presenting our project’s results to Liana Cannata (Youth Policies Assessor, Municipal Council) and Raimondo Mortelliti (Municipal Councilor) at the Municipality of Messina, where local policies take shape. They welcomed us, listened to our outcomes, and encouraged future collaborations in youth-led sustainability initiatives.

Afterward, we experienced a piece of Messina’s heritage, watching the famous Piazza Duomo clock at midday, as its statues moved to the sound of its ancient melody. To end the visit on a sweet note, we shared some of Sicily’s best granita and ice cream, savoring both the flavors and the memories created together.

🌱 SDG Deep Dive: Understanding Global Goals

Through interactive quizzes, videos, and data analysis, we explored all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their real-world impact. In national teams, we focused on SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production), analyzing how food waste affects each of our countries and developing presentations to compare different approaches.

📖 Project Booklet 📚

Want to dive deeper into our journey? Our "Oops!... I Wasted It Again!" Booklet is a collection of the experiences, learnings, and creative outputs developed during this Erasmus+ Youth Exchange. It includes stories, podcasts, short films, artistic projects, and hands-on activities, offering insights into food waste awareness, sustainability, and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

This resource is designed to inspire youth workers, educators, and organizations looking to engage young people in sustainability-focused projects.

🔗 Download from Salto Youth Toolbox:

http://toolbox.salto-youth.net/4769

🔗 Download from our website:

🐝 Dissemination & Impact ☄️

The end of our time in Sicily was just the beginning. After returning home, participants and partner organizations continued the project through local workshops, awareness campaigns, and community events, ensuring that the lessons learned reached even more people.

Through dissemination activities in each partner country, we shared our experiences at local schools, youth centers, and sustainability events, sparking conversations about food waste and responsible consumption. Some participants even presented their work at international conferences and environmental forums, amplifying our collective message.

“Oops!... I Wasted It Again!” wasn’t just about one week in Sicily. It was about a long-term commitment to change. The conversations, collaborations, and creative projects sparked during the exchange will continue to inspire action in our communities.

With the support of Erasmus+ and Agenzia Italiana per la Gioventù, we proved that young people have the power to rethink waste, inspire change, and build a more sustainable future.