Discarded materials transformed into pyjama trousers in Danish school project

A waste management company in southern Denmark has launched a free “material bank” where local schools can collect discarded fabrics, wood, and other items for creative projects, DR reports.

At Lyreskovskolen in Padborg, students Mille Cordsen Kellgren and Sidsel Kessler Alexandersen are cutting up an old carpet from a recycling centre to make pyjama trousers, guided by their teacher Stine Meyer. “It’s great that we can give it new life and make different things with it,” said eighth-grader Mille.

Teacher Stine Meyer praised the initiative, noting that free materials allow students to experiment without fear of wasting resources. “It’s fantastic because you need a lot of material when learning to sew pyjama trousers for the first time—now there’s room to cut and sew mistakes,” she said.

The material bank, opened by utility company Arwos at its Padborg recycling site, offers fabric scraps, wood, porcelain, and old magazines to Aabenraa Municipality’s institutions. Sanne Choe Jensen, Arwos’ recycling coordinator, said the goal is to extend the lifespan of more materials while encouraging creative reuse in education.

Pia-Vera Mølgaard, chair of the teachers’ association Håndværk og Design, called the project a boost for both teaching and creativity, allowing students to explore hands-on learning with sustainable materials.