GIG – Global Inno a ion Ga he ing 2
Ci cula
Ma e ial
Value
Cu iculum
© 2025. This wo k is openly licensed ia CC BY 4.0
This cu iculum is published as an open educa ional
esou ce (OER), eely a ailable o sel -s udy, o in o m
wo kshops, o o be adap ed and emixed by
o ganisa ions wo ldwide o sui hei specific con ex s
and needs. I is eleased by GIG unde a C ea i e
Commons A ibu ion license (CC-BY 4.0), which
encou ages he sha ing, adap a ion, and co-c ea ion o
knowledge o a mo e sus ainable u u e.
GIG – Global Inno a ion Ga he ing 3
Ci cula
Ma e ial
Value
Cu iculum
F aming, S uc u e and Defini ions
The Ci cula Ma e ial Value Cu iculum (CMVC) was
c ea ed o equip ci cula ini ia i es, ze o-was e
p og ammes, euse cen es, and o he simila
o ganisa ions wi h he essen ial skills, knowledge,
and sensibili y needed o effec i ely di e eusable
goods and ma e ials om he was e s eam and
gene a e local alue in social, economic and
en i onmen al ways.
As a co e ou pu o a ci izen science esea ch ini ia i e conduc ed in 2025 by he
Global Inno a ion Ga he ing (GIG) and Reuse Ci y wi h suppo om he Hans
Saue S i ung, he cu iculum os e s a holis ic unde s anding o ma e ial euse.
The p ojec was designed o inco po a e di e se pe spec i es, in pa icula hose
o euse wo ke s, epai olun ee s, sus ainable designe s, si ua ed make s, and
communi y o ganise s expe ienced in ma e ial euse in a ious se ings.
GIG – Global Inno a ion Ga he ing 4
The iew pushed o wa d by he p ojec in eg a es ma e ial analysis, social
awa eness, economic e alua ion, and en i onmen al esponsibili y. The CMVC
p o ides a amewo k ha mo es beyond con en ional linea economic models,
empowe ing pa icipan s o design and implemen p ac ical, locally oo ed
ci cula i y ac ions. By le e aging he collec i e in elligence and embodied
knowledge o expe ienced pa icipan s, his cu iculum con ibu es o ongoing
esea ch in unde s anding and defining he eme ging sys emic posi ion o Ci cula
Ma e ial Value s. Such ac i i y - be i pe o med as a disc e e p o essional unc ion
o as an a ibu ion o o he oles such as so e o e alua o - is c ucial o
engende mo e sus ainable ma e ial flows and suppo g ounded social-ecological
ans o ma ion.
The cu iculum consis s o ou modules:
1.
Sys emic View
and Social Value
GIG – Global Inno a ion Ga he ing 6
1.
Sys emic View and Social Value
Ci cula i y om he G ound-Le el
This ounda ional module aims o p o ide a endees
wi h a c i ical unde s anding o he ci cula
economy, emphasising communi y-based
app oaches and he p o ound social benefi s o
euse. I challenges adi ional no ions o was e and
linea p oduc ion, p omo ing a mo e equi able and
sus ainable in e ac ion wi h ma e ials, and aming
local ac ions as i al sys emic in e en ions.
Re hinking Was e and Ci cula i y
→ Lea ning he co e p inciples o a ci cula economy, ex ending beyond he
con en ional “ ake-make-dispose” model o ocus on “ educe- euse- ecycle”.
→ C i ical assessmen o mains eam ci cula economy discou se, which o en
p io i ises indus ial in e es s and economic alue o e social and human
aspec s (Sch öde e al., 2020; Vosse, 2020). This includes unde s anding how
cu en economic incen i es can inad e en ly a ou modes o esou ce
handling ha de alue objec s and simpli y ma e ial flows owa ds a linea
model, which makes epai ing and euse a bes less a ac i e, and equen ly
un easible.
→ Unde s anding he was e managemen hie a chy as ecommended by
con empo a y and eme ging policy ( o ins ance Eu opean legisla ion on was e
and ci cula economy, as well as in e na ional ea ies egula ing was e expo s
and in e con inen al ou sou cing o esponsibili ies). A s ong emphasis is pu
on was e p e en ion and euse as p ima y objec i es o e ecycling,
incine a ion, and landfilling, due o hei lowe en i onmen al impac and
highe socie al alue.
GIG – Global Inno a ion Ga he ing 7
→ Unde s anding he social and poli ical con ex , posi ioning euse and epai as
ac s o esis ance agains he de aluing o objec s (Jackson, 2014; O oza, N/D).
This also in ol es unde s anding he " alue o he p oduc as he alue o
a oiding was e" and he challenges o coun e ac ing massi e ma e ial flows.
Local and Communi y-Based App oaches
→ Focus on g ound-le el, commons-based was e p e en ion, highligh ing i s
con as wi h op-down indus ial models. This includes p omo ing and
suppo ing ini ia i es such as epai ca és, sc ap shops, and obus communi y
ne wo ks. Examples include he Remake y in Sou h London, Kuns -S offe and
Nochmall in Be lin and he Ge man Ve bund Offene We ks ä en, and he
epu posing o abandoned spaces, such as he Jupi e Mall in Hambu g, o
euse ini ia i es.
→ De eloping skills o os e “gene ous ci ies” sys ems ha ac i ely encou age
ca e p ac ices and ans o m excess ma e ials in o angible social alue wi hin
local con ex s. This aming con as s wi h a passi e and a guably was e ul
accep ance o “abundance,” p e e ing a egene a i e mindse (Cla k &
Rocke elle , 2020; Schmid Fonseca, 2024; Wahl, 2016).
→ Explo ing al e na i e models like he his o ical SERO Sys em in Eas Ge many,
which in ol ed s a e-o ganised collec ion poin s, and ne wo ks such as
Bau eilne z ( o building ma e ials) and Ve bund Offene We ks ae en (open
wo kshops) in Ge many, as well as in e na ional app oaches o p o iding
ma e ials o schools. Expand also on concep s ocusing on minimum ene gy
in e en ion and diffe en s a es o ma e ial ans o ma ion, om simple cu s o
mo e ene gy-in ensi e p ocesses. The idea o bio egions (Thacka a, 2017)
encou ages hinking abou ma e ial flows on a scale wide han jus he
neighbou hood o ci y.
→ Decen alised s. Agg ega ed App oaches: explo e he dis inc ions be ween
hese wo models. A decen alised app oach a ou s smalle , local ini ia i es
embedded in specific communi ies, such as neighbou hood epai ca és o
communi y co-ops. This model excels a building us , os e ing local
knowledge, and educing anspo cos s, bu can s uggle wi h high olumes
and specialised equipmen . An agg ega ed o cen alised app oach, by con as ,
elies on la ge , o en indus ial-scale hubs, such as majo so ing acili ies. This
model offe s efficiency o high olumes and access o ad anced machine y, bu
can be disconnec ed om local social needs and may lead o a "lowes common
denomina o " alua ion ha p omo es downcycling. Expe imen wi h o ms o
combining bo h app oaches acco ding o local demands and po en iali ies.
GIG – Global Inno a ion Ga he ing 8
Social Inclusion and Empowe men
→ Lea ning how o le e age and suppo exis ing social g oups al eady in ol ed
in ma e ial euse, ensu ing new de elopmen s do no ma ginalise hem bu a e
ins ead empowe ed and be e equipped. This includes ecognising ha
indi iduals below he po e y line o en ac as de ac o alue s (Noble, 2019) and
hei needs and pe spec i es should be inco po a ed in any a emp s o
imp o e local sys ems.
→ Techniques o augmen ing and eplica ing he skills o expe ienced
indi iduals, os e ing pee - o-pee knowledge sha ing and men o ship wi hin
communi ies. This in ol es unde s anding he impo ance o in insic
mo i a ion and "non-linea educa ion", such as lea ning om c a speople and
c ea i e p o essions, and p o iding in e nal educa ion and esou ces like
li e a u e on p oduc design, ma e ials science, and social en ep eneu ship.
→ Unde s anding he cul u al con ex o epai and euse, ecognising how
p ac ices and pe cep ions a y ac oss locali ies and influence beha iou . This
also in ol es mapping po en ial beneficia y g oups and o ganisa ions o enable
he quick edi ec ion o ma e ials and balance supply and demand in a
decen alised manne . Conside also he po en ial o ans-local wo k
exchange p og ammes, encou aging pa icipan s no only o lea n om o he
con ex s bu also o ac i ely con ibu e o shaping and imp o ing local sys ems.
→ Building on in e na ional con ex s, such as he Na ional Was e Picke s'
Mo emen (MNCR) in B azil and he gaiane wo k - powe ul examples o
o ganised labou and communi ies om a social inclusion pe spec i e.
2.
Eyes and Hands o a
Ci cula Value :
Ma e iali y and En i onmen al Value
GIG – Global Inno a ion Ga he ing 16
s a egic assessmen o euse po en ial. Addi ionally, esou ces like Make Wo ks
can help o connec wi h local manu ac u e s and ab ica ion esou ces.
4.
S o ies and
Pe sonal Values
GIG – Global Inno a ion Ga he ing 18
4.
S o ies and Pe sonal Value
This module emphasises he c ucial human
dimension o euse, including he emo ional
connec ion o objec s and he ans o ma i e powe
o s o y elling in os e ing a "gene osi y" mindse
owa ds ma e ials. These elemen s a e i al o
os e ing communi y engagemen and ensu ing
in e en ions a e cul u ally esonan .
Emo ional and Cul u al Connec ion
→ Recognising he "s o y" and emo ional connec ions ha objec s hold, and how
his deeply influences hei pe cei ed alue and po en ial o euse. This
includes unde s anding he "joy o epai ", he concep o “mundane
echnologies” (Neme , 2022), and he pe sonal sa is ac ion de i ed om
ex ending an objec 's li e, e en i i has cosme ic de ec s (Jackson, 2014).
→ Explo ing he b oade "make cul u e" as a powe ul d i e o engaging wi h
ma e ials, os e ing c ea i i y, and building a sense o belonging wi hin
communi ies. This mo es beyond a pu ely "shabby chic" aes he ic o a deepe
app ecia ion o an objec 's his o y and po en ial.
P omo ing a Gene osi y Mindse
→ Adop ing he concep o "ma e ial gene osi y" as an in en ional and ac i e
app oach o in e ac wi h he wo ld and manage excess ma e ials. This includes
os e ing a collec i e iew o he alue o hings wi hin neighbou hoods and
communi ies. Addi ionally, explo e how a new p o essional iden i y o ma e ial
alue s can be a sou ce o class solida i y, pa icula ly in he con ex o
p eca ious labou and olun ee ini ia i es.
→ Lea ning how s o y elling and isual ep esen a ion can effec i ely highligh
he po en ial alue o disca ded ma e ials and inspi e b oade engagemen in
GIG – Global Inno a ion Ga he ing 19
euse ini ia i es. I connec s o he challenge o ins illing " ac ile skills, cu iosi y,
and imagina ion" in younge gene a ions, which a e c ucial o effec i e ma e ial
alua ion. This includes he idea o "changing ou emo ional landscape"
ega ding was e, os e ing a deepe connec ion ha d i es p oac i e
in e en ions. Documen a ies such as Was e Land (Walke e al., 2010) and
Es ami a (P ado, 2004), as well as fic ion films like T ash (Dald y & Duu oo ,
2014), offe powe ul na a i es on he human dimension o was e.
GIG – Global Inno a ion Ga he ing 20
5.
Re e ences and Resou ces
This sec ion p o ides a cu a ed lis o ex s, ideos,
websi es, and o he ele an ma e ials o suppo
he lea ning and p ac ice o a Ci cula Ma e ial
Value .
→ h ps://wiki. euse.ci y/p ojec s/ci cula - alue -cu iculum/CMVC-Re e ences
© 2025. This wo k is openly licensed ia CC BY 4.0
This cu iculum is published as an open educa ional
esou ce (OER), eely a ailable o sel -s udy, o in o m
wo kshops, o o be adap ed and emixed by
o ganisa ions wo ldwide o sui hei specific con ex s
and needs. I is eleased by GIG unde a C ea i e
Commons A ibu ion license (CC-BY 4.0), which
encou ages he sha ing, adap a ion, and co-c ea ion o
knowledge o a mo e sus ainable u u e.
