Best practice: upcycling projects

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The following projects promote employability for youth, social inclusion and sustainability. We regard them as best practice examples:

1.  HOBBYHIMMEL
It’s an open workshop, a place where all people can pursue their "craft" interest. Craft, art, repair, recycling, upcycling and much more are part of it. It provides machines, equipment, tools and above all the necessary space, but also provides know-how and assistance. People can exchange, get to know each other and support each other. It lays a special focus on alternative consumption, community building and a sharing economy.



2. BUNTGUT
Under the label EINZIGWARE®, new textile products are produced in the Caritas region of Schwarzwald-Alb-Donau from old, no-longer-used textiles. The upcycling initiative also includes refugees and people who have no occupation. It has become a best practice model for community building through reusing discarded textiles.






3. RECYCOAL
RecyCoal is a start-up by university-students from Aachen that supplies a concept for the production of coal briquettes in Africa, which are obtained by a controlled pyrolysis process from harvest residues and green waste. To ensure sustainability, the project is based on an entrepreneurial concept: after the initial investment in the pyrolysis system, the operator can use the produced coal briquettes for their own use or sell them profitably on the local market.




4. MOSAIK – LESVOS SOLIDARITY
Safe passage bags: MOSAIK is a cultural centre in Lesvos, Greece. The Centre offers safe passage workshops. Life vests used by refugees crossing to Lesvos are collected from the beaches and recycled and turned into bags. This workshop is on one hand a sensible response to the waste problem on the island caused by the crisis and a job opportunity for refugees and locals to gain an income. The bags can be purchased on request.  

5. CUCULA
CUCULA e.V. is a pilot project empowering refugees to build a professional future for themselves.
CUCULA is an association, a workshop, a platform for intercultural exchange and an experimental, vocational preparation program. Up to eight young refugees are acquiring basic skills in craft and design in CUCULA’s workshop at any given time. The workshop is connected to an educational program in which trainees prepare for future apprenticeships and jobs. CUCULA also offers everyday support and legal advice.



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