The third international meeting of the StartUpcycling project was from the 16th to 24th of march 2018. Our - for now last - meeting in Cape Town was focusing on the development of the eCourse that offers tools and know-how to start an upcycling business. The StartUpcycling team was based in Muizenberg, a vibrant and alternative suburb right at the beach front and participated in a Beach Clean Up!

StartUpcycling in the metropole of Upcycling

Not far from the most southern point of Africa the seven partners from Brazil, Europe, India and South Africa met to talk about the raising problems in terms of waste and lack of chances to find work as a young person in South Africa and all over the world. 

eCourse and cultural exchange is going hand in hand

The Hive is a new and creative co-work space that inspired the whole team with its community spirit. At this special location, the partners worked on the final structure of the eCourse. The course mainly gives an introduction into the topics of waste reduction and resources, professions in the field of upcycling and the principles of Social and Green Entrepreneurship. Participants of the eCourse shall be able to inform themselves by the following four chapters of the eCourse:

1. Waste and Zero Waste
2. What to do with upcyclig (professions in the field of upcycling)
3. Social and Green Entrepreneurship
4. How to start it up now!

Beginning from the 15th of mai 2018 the eCourse will be free of charge for anyone who would like to know more about green entrepreneurship connected with upcycling.

What now? Join our eCourse and Facebook campaign

For the eCourse the StartUpcycling Team is reaching out with a campaign on Facebook. Join us now! We will show fascinating examples of what upcycling and the reuse of resources is good for! Register already for our eCourse here. Or contact us: startupcycling@gmail.com 

The partner network of "StartUpcycling" is currently developing an eCourse for young people who are interested in setting up a start-up in the field of upcycling. The course will be launched on the 15th of May 2018. In May and June, the participants will be accompanied by experienced upcycling experts and green economist who can give productive feedback and tips. 

The course is free of charge and will be accessible for everyone who would like to participate. 

We recommend it for young people at the age of 18 and 30 years who are interested in the principles of green economy and start-up education in order to get new knowledge for setting up an own upcycling business.

IN SHORT

Register HERE and get it started!

Participants in the EU project StartUpcycling unite the vision that upcycling can be a means for effective environmental protection as well as a valuable learning, opportunity for young entrepreneurs worldwide. The youth workers from the seven partner organisations met in India in early September to develop the educational outcomes further.

The 21 start-up pioneers continued their work on an e-course in South India. The team of Eco Designers, experts in the field of waste management, as well as social workers, create lessons on the topics of waste and recycling as well as on Social Green Entrepreneurship & Eco Design. In this very unique international constellation - coming from different European countries as well as Brazil, South Africa and India - the participants were able to exchange start-ups from all over the world with Upcycling and to gather new inspiration for their own youth work at a local level.

The StartUpcycling meeting took place in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu in Auroville, a place that is a model for sustainable change. The settlement today manages to keep 80% of its waste out of nature and to redistribute it for recycling or reuse, depending on the substance. The settlement was launched by supporters of the Peace Movement in the 1970s in a complete desert. Today, a tropical forest with a huge diversity of species is flourishing in Auroville.

Upcycling is also visible in many projects of the settlement: a small paper factory, Auroville Papers, develops paper with fibres of various plants and creates book bindings as well as solid furniture. Since the beginnings of Auroville, the so-called "Trash Mahal" has organized a student exchange for architects who build houses from surplus raw materials. And the start-up "EcoFemme" not only develops ecological cotton sanitary pads for women, but also engages in educating young women outside and inside schools about their health and their bodies.

The next phase of international cooperation involves further workshops and trainings with young people in the countries of the participants. The creation of new networks and the development of an online course for new start-ups with upcycling are also an objective. After that, in March next year, all delegates will meet for the third and last time in South Africa.