Contextualization

Conscious consumption is an extremely relevant topic in our current society. With the increase in industrial production and consumption of goods and services, there is a growing need to think about the consequences of our consumption habits. Furthermore, the issue of proper disposal and the reuse or recycling of consumed materials is an increasingly present challenge in our daily lives. In this project, we will learn about these topics, develop collective proposals for more conscious consumption, and create technological solutions for proper disposal and the reuse or recycling of consumed materials in school and/or daily life.

Conscious consumption can be understood as consumption that takes into account the impacts of each purchase. This means considering the product's life cycle, from production to disposal, as well as the practices of the company that produces it. To do this, it is necessary to learn about the concepts of product life cycle, sustainable production and consumption, waste, and recycling. It is also important to understand the circular economy, an economic concept that aims to eliminate waste and the continuous use of resources.

In this context, the development of technological solutions for proper disposal and the reuse or recycling of consumed materials is crucial for us to minimize the negative impacts of our consumption habits. This can involve creating new products from discarded materials to proposing policies and measures that encourage proper disposal and recycling.

The relevance of conscious consumption and proper waste disposal is evident in the world we live in. Excessive production and consumption have led to increasingly serious environmental problems, such as air pollution, water contamination, and the depletion of natural resources. Moreover, improperly disposed waste can cause a range of problems, from the degradation of natural environments to the spread of diseases.

In this sense, learning about conscious consumption and proper waste disposal and developing solutions to these problems are crucial skills in our society. These skills not only allow us to live more sustainably but also prepare us to be more conscious and responsible citizens.

Practical Activity

Activity Title: Conscious Consumption in Practice: From Theory to Action

Project Objective:

Develop concrete proposals to promote conscious consumption at school and at home, and create technological solutions for proper disposal and reuse or recycling of consumed materials.

Detailed Project Description:

Divided into groups of 3 to 5 students, participants will conduct an in-depth study on conscious consumption and the circular economy, as well as on waste production and disposal. Based on this investigation, students should develop a practical proposal to implement conscious consumption in the school and domestic reality. They will also need to create a technological solution for proper disposal and reuse or recycling of common materials in school and domestic daily life, which can be a model, a prototype, or even an app.

Required Materials:

It will depend on the technological solution proposed by the students, but it may include discarded materials (cardboard, plastic bottles, cans, etc.), paints, glue, office materials, etc.

Step-by-Step for Activity Execution:

1. Initial Investigation: Students should research conscious consumption, circular economy, production, and waste disposal. Each group should produce a written summary of these concepts and discuss it with the class.

2. Field Analysis: Students should analyze consumption and waste disposal habits at school and at home. This may include collecting data on the amount of waste produced, the types of materials consumed and discarded, etc.

3. Proposal Development: Based on the collected data, students should develop a proposal to implement conscious consumption at school and at home. The proposal should be presented in written and oral form.

4. Creation of Technological Solution: In parallel with the proposal development, students should create a technological solution for proper disposal and reuse or recycling of materials. This solution should be prototyped, if possible.

5. Final Presentation: Students should present their proposal and technological solution to the class and the school community.

6. Documentation: Throughout the project, students should document their activities, results, and reflections.

The project should last at least 12 hours per student, including research time, discussion, proposal development, creation of the technological solution, preparation of the presentation, and writing of the documentation.

Project Deliverables and Connection with Activities:

Students must deliver the following pieces of work:

1. Written summary of the concepts of conscious consumption, circular economy, production, and waste disposal.
2. Written and oral proposal to implement conscious consumption at school and at home.
3. Technological solution for proper disposal and reuse or recycling of materials.
4. Project documentation.

The documentation should follow the format of a report and should contain the following sections: Introduction, Development, Conclusions, and Bibliography.

• The introduction should contextualize the theme of conscious consumption and explain the relevance and application of the project.
• The development should detail the theory studied, describe the activity carried out, explain the methodology used, and present and discuss the results obtained.
• The conclusions should summarize the main points of the project, explain the learnings obtained, and present the conclusions drawn.
• The bibliography should indicate the sources used in the project.

Students should work in teams throughout the project, practicing skills such as time management, communication, problem-solving, creative thinking, and proactivity.