The "Education for Resource Conservation and Resource Efficiency" (BilRess-NW) network aimed to raise awareness of resource conservation and resource efficiency in all areas of education. The second funding phase (2015-2019) was the continuation of the project "Education for Resource Conservation and Resource Efficiency" (2012-2016) now under the umbrella of the VDI Centre for Resource Efficiency.
The BilRess network was continued through project funding from the Federal Environment Ministry and the Federal Environment Agency within the framework of the VDI Centre for Resource Efficiency. Two annual network events were held, the BilRess platform was further developed and broad information was provided on the topic of resource education. The BilRess network ...

  • initiated the exchange of experiences between actors in the education sectors in order to anchor education for resource conservation and resource efficiency,
  • developed proposals for the design of framework conditions that provide incentives and reduce barriers,
  • enabled active participation and provided an opportunity to exchange teaching-learning materials,
  • brought together representatives of the education sectors with stakeholders from politics, business and academia.

By September 2018, the "Education for Resource Conservation and Resource Efficiency" network had already gained more than 430 members with an interest in implementing and anchoring resource education in the areas of school education, higher education, vocational training and further education. The aim was also to establish and permanently institutionalise the network.

For example, the BilRess network presented its learning station "Resource consumption by mobile phones" for the first time at the "Future Tour 2016". The learning station had the primary materials for the four selected production materials copper and aluminium, glass and plastic ready as exhibits: chalcopyrite, bauxite, sand-potash-soda, crude oil. The total weight of the ecological rucksack of a mobile phone could thus be experienced by weighing 75.3 kg. This learning station is available for educational events at schools throughout Germany.

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