Following the Thread

Theme(s)

  • Education, Environment

Challenge

  • Circular economy

Partners

ecoLive association

Duration

2026-2027

Locations

Switzerland – Geneva

Project funding

  • MALOM Fund

Context

The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. It is the second-largest consumer of water, accounts for 25% of global pesticide use through cotton production, and is responsible for 20% of freshwater pollution. It relies on opaque supply chains that are often associated with human exploitation. Despite this, young people remain largely unaware of the environmental and social impacts of their clothing choices. This project seeks to address this educational gap.

Objectives

  • Understand the life cycle of a garment and its systemic impacts.
  • Develop young people’s critical thinking skills and sense of civic responsibility.
  • Train teachers to deliver the programme independently.
  • Embed textile sustainability into educational practices over the long term.

Actions

  • Interactive workshops for 200 lower and upper secondary school classes (approximately 4,000 students aged 12 to 19) each school year. Through an educational game centered on a T-shirt, students explore every stage of the textile supply chain, from cotton farming to recycling or disposal, including manufacturing, distribution, and use.
  • Annual updates of educational content, including key issues, data, and teaching tools.
  • Train-the-trainer sessions: 4 workshops enabling 40 teachers and educators to learn how to use and facilitate the game, per year.

Contexte

Context

The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. It is the second-largest consumer of water, accounts for 25% of global pesticide use through cotton production, and is responsible for 20% of freshwater pollution. It relies on opaque supply chains that are often associated with human exploitation. Despite this, young people remain largely unaware of the environmental and social impacts of their clothing choices. This project seeks to address this educational gap.

Objectives

  • Understand the life cycle of a garment and its systemic impacts.
  • Develop young people’s critical thinking skills and sense of civic responsibility.
  • Train teachers to deliver the programme independently.
  • Embed textile sustainability into educational practices over the long term.

Actions

  • Interactive workshops for 200 lower and upper secondary school classes (approximately 4,000 students aged 12 to 19) each school year. Through an educational game centered on a T-shirt, students explore every stage of the textile supply chain, from cotton farming to recycling or disposal, including manufacturing, distribution, and use.
  • Annual updates of educational content, including key issues, data, and teaching tools.
  • Train-the-trainer sessions: 4 workshops enabling 40 teachers and educators to learn how to use and facilitate the game, per year.

Contexte

Context

The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. It is the second-largest consumer of water, accounts for 25% of global pesticide use through cotton production, and is responsible for 20% of freshwater pollution. It relies on opaque supply chains that are often associated with human exploitation. Despite this, young people remain largely unaware of the environmental and social impacts of their clothing choices. This project seeks to address this educational gap.

Objectives

  • Understand the life cycle of a garment and its systemic impacts.
  • Develop young people’s critical thinking skills and sense of civic responsibility.
  • Train teachers to deliver the programme independently.
  • Embed textile sustainability into educational practices over the long term.

Actions

  • Interactive workshops for 200 lower and upper secondary school classes (approximately 4,000 students aged 12 to 19) each school year. Through an educational game centered on a T-shirt, students explore every stage of the textile supply chain, from cotton farming to recycling or disposal, including manufacturing, distribution, and use.
  • Annual updates of educational content, including key issues, data, and teaching tools.
  • Train-the-trainer sessions: 4 workshops enabling 40 teachers and educators to learn how to use and facilitate the game, per year.

Partner

ecoLive association

Founded in January 2017, ecoLive is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable development and environmental stewardship. Its mission is to inspire individuals, businesses, and institutions to adopt more sustainable lifestyles and practices, helping to address climate challenges and protect natural resources.

To achieve this, ecoLive designs educational programmes and tools, organises events and community initiatives, and develops learning resources for schools and training centres. Through its activities, the organisation encourages the integration of sustainability principles across the entire life cycle of products and services, from design and production to consumption and end-of-life management, while taking into account environmental, social, and economic considerations.