GreenVET pathway

Second hand clothes swap

ESD-Day with Park Cleaning and Clothes Swap

DPFA VET School actively involved all its students in an ESD Day focused on impactful sustainable practices. Students took part in cleaning the local park and collecting litter, followed by organizing a clothing swap event within the school to promote conscious consumption and reuse.

Key People and Partners Involved

• Students
• Teachers
• School management

Description of the practice

The day began with students and teachers gathering in the local park to collect litter left behind by visitors. By actively caring for their surroundings, the school community not only took responsibility for their environment but also raised awareness about the issue of public space pollution. A second group took part in a workshop and learned a lot about waste and waste separation and how to talk about the topic with kids.

The second part of the day featured a school-wide clothes swap. Led by teachers and a group of students, two classrooms were transformed into pop-up second-hand clothing stores, creating an engaging and practical example of circular economy principles in action.

As many of the students are future educators, ESD Day also served as a hands-on learning experience, demonstrating sustainable practices that can be easily implemented in the education sector—even in early childhood settings. At the heart of both activities was the concept of responsible consumption: encouraging reuse through accessible infrastructure for clothing exchange, and highlighting the environmental and social benefits of reducing and recycling packaging waste through park clean-up efforts. These experiences help foster a deeper understanding of how small actions can make a significant impact on both local communities and the global environment.

Where it’s being implemented

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• DPFA VET school is situated in Leipzig, Germany.
  https://www.dpfa.de/dpfa-standorte/leipzig

Impact and Results

• Raised awareness about SDGs 11, 12, and 13 through hands-on sustainability activities.
• Promoted environmental responsibility by cleaning the local park and addressing the impact of littering in public spaces.
• Encouraged circular economy practices through a student-led clothes swap, reducing textile waste and promoting reuse.
• Provided future educators with practical tools to integrate sustainability into early childhood and school education settings.

Implementation Tips and Insights

• DPFA VET School partnered with the city"s municipal cleaning department, ensuring students were properly equipped for the park clean-up activity. This collaboration not only provided the necessary tools but also offered valuable insights into the real-world challenges of maintaining clean and livable urban spaces.
• The success of the clothes swap sparked a new idea: Why not establish a permanent clothes rack within the school building" This would allow students to continuously contribute and exchange clothing, encouraging an ongoing culture of reuse and sustainable consumption in everyday school life.