ToyStories and EcoPlastiC: Tackling plastic pollution through education

The ToyStories project, funded by the Irish Research Council, was an innovative initiative that raised awareness about plastic pollution and its impact on the environment by engaging over 400 children across Ireland and over 150 across Serbia in 2024.

The project targeted young people aged 12-16 and used interactive workshops and creative activities to educate participants about the dangers of plastic waste and the importance of sustainability. Students learned about the life cycle of plastics, the environmental consequences of mismanagement, and actionable solutions, fostering a deeper understanding of circularity and eco-friendly practices. The impacts of the project are manifold:

Environmental impact: By raising awareness of plastic pollution, the project has a significant impact on the environment, such as reducing single-use plastic consumption, recycling, advocating for policy reforms.

Education and empowerment: Enabling and empowering young people to make informed decisions and become advocates for change, to take a role in addressing plastic pollution and foster a greater responsibility for the environment.

Behavioral change: Through education and engagement, young individuals can develop a deeper understanding of the negative impacts of plastic pollution on ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. Armed with this knowledge, they are more likely to adopt sustainable practices.

The initial knowledge and awareness assessment was performed using ToyStories questionnaires, which were based on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports and relevant social-economic studies, and were adapted to the selected target group. The interactive workshops were held by experts in this area to achieve better understanding of the presented topic, and their main goal was to motivate young people to discuss this issue and come up with their own solutions. The workshops included presentations on circularity of plastics through successful examples, where the EcoPlastiC project was presented, explained and discussed by both TUS and IMGGE partners.

The ToyStories project was carried out in 12 elementary schools, 8 in Ireland and 4 in Serbia, and a comparative study and detailed statistical analysis is currently in progress. In Ireland, the workshops were led by the project Principal Investigator Dr Marija Nicevic, along with associates Dr Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia and Henrique Da Silva Pereira. Nearly every school had more than one group of students eager to participate in the project, and every professor expressed interest in continuing the collaboration beyond its initial scope. The second round of workshops was also incorporated into Science Week in 3 of the 8 participating schools, increasing the project's reach and reinforcing its impact by engaging even more students in discussions on plastic pollution and sustainability.

Photo collage of school visits carried out by the TUS team

In Serbia, the research expanded to four schools in Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Požarevac and Vranje, further broadening the project's impact. The workshops were conducted by researchers from the Eco-Biotechnology and Drug Development group at the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade. The team, consisting of Dr Jelena Simic, Dr Sandra Vojnovic, Dr Ivana Aleksic, Vukasin Jankovic, Nikola Radivojevic and Dr Marijana Ponjavic, played a key role in delivering interactive sessions that educated students on plastic pollution, sustainability, and innovative solutions to environmental challenges.

Photo collage of school visits carried out by the IMGGE team