From Trash to Treasure - Wissen und Wege für weniger Abfall
In welche Tonne gehört die Bäckertüte? Was tun mit kaputten Haushaltsgeräten? Kann ich die Banane noch essen? Wenn Sie sich schon einmal eine solche Frage gestellt haben, finden Sie in dieser Veranstaltungsreihe sowohl konventionelle als auch kreative Antworten darauf.
Choose the right bin for your trash at last, save money by repairing items, learn about smoothie recipes for overripe fruit, and turn nut shells into sustainable materials for reuse!
The SLUB Makerspace, the Green Office, and the Institute for Waste and Circular Economy (IAK) at TU Dresden, the Office for Urban Green and Waste Management (ASA) of the State Capital Dresden, and the Verbraucherzentrale Sachsen are jointly organizing a series of events on the topic of waste separation and waste prevention. From April through December 2026, you can attend informational events, repair cafés, workshops, and hands-on stations on campus and around the city to learn how to sort your waste properly, why it’s worth repairing or reusing items, and how so-called trash can actually be turned into new treasures.
Visit us at our information and hands-on stations or register for individual events. We’ve summarized all the information for you on this page.
April 21, 2026 | 5:00–7:30 p.m.
, DrePunct Library / Makerspace M1
Repair Café Special: Focus on Electronic Waste
If your household appliance isn’t working anymore or needs some sewing repairs, a visit to the Repair Café can help. Volunteers from the Repair Café Dresden/Freital initiative and staff from the SLUB will assist visitors in hopefully restoring broken devices. The Repair Café at TU Dresden’s Green Office takes place every third Tuesday of the month from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the SLUB Makerspace (DrePunct Library, Zellescher Weg 17).
The event in April also marks the kickoff of the "From Trash to Treasure – Knowledge and Strategies for Reducing Waste" series and will feature a presentation by Johannes Preuß of the Institute for Waste and Circular Economy (IAK) on the topic of batteries and end-of-life electronic devices. Anyone who doesn’t have devices to repair is also welcome to attend without registering! More detailed information about the presentations and the speaker, as well as registration for the Repair Café on April 21, 2026, is available here.
All other Repair Café dates at the SLUB Makerspace in 2026:
May 19, 2026 | June 16, 2026 | July 21, 2026 | Oct. 15,09/15/2026 | 10/20/2026 | 11/17/2026 | 12/15/2026
June 10, 2026 | 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Prager Straße/near the "Friendship of Nations" sculpture
June 19, 2026 | 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Kulturpalast/Forecourt
Germany Recycles
If packaging waste is sorted and disposed of properly, it can be recycled. The event booth offers plenty of information on the topic; a plastic press will be used to create new items from old plastic right on site; and you can test your knowledge right away with the wheel of questions contest.
No registration required
June 17, 2026 (Dies Academicus) | 12:00 PM – 6:30 PM
, Lecture Hall Center/Wiese
Avoiding Waste and Disposing of It Properly – Sustainable Use of Resources in Everyday Life
What types of trash bins are actually available in Dresden, and what goes where? At the Waste Advisory Service’s booth, you can test your knowledge right away with the waste sorting game and the wheel of questions. Because only when trash ends up in the right bin can it be recycled.
No registration required
This event is part of TU Dresden’s Sustainability Week.
Further information can be found here.
July 8, 2026 | 4:00 PM – 7:30 PM
, drePunct Library / Makerspace M1
Maker Vision Board: All Plastic
Your plastic dreams can come true!
What does the Makerspace offer in terms of plastic processing? Get to know 3D printers, plastic bending machines, and other equipment! We’ll show you what you can do with them and help you brainstorm and implement your own projects.
We’ll explore questions like “How sustainable is plastic?” and “What happens to plastic scraps generated during 3D printing, for example?”
There are 20 spots available.
September 30, 2026 | 3:00–4:30 p.m.
, Interim Library Bergstraße / OSL 1
No Food for the Trash - A Workshop on Preventing Food Waste
The waste of edible food is a major problem—ethically, ecologically, socially, and economically. It contradicts the concept of sustainability and affects us all. The workshop provides tips on waste prevention and offers information on the shelf life and storage of food.
In this workshop, participants will explore the causes of food waste. They will reflect on their own consumption habits and discover practical ways to make the most of food in the household. Topics include:
- Shelf Life & Storage: How can food stay fresh longer?
- Smart shopping & planning: How can leftovers be avoided?
- Practical example: How can we handle food more sustainably in everyday life?
There are 30 spots available.
14.10.2026 | 16-19:30 Uhr
ACHTUNG: Neues Datum !!!
Diese Veranstaltung wurde vom 14.10.2026 auf den 13.11.2026 verschoben.
October 14, 2026 | 4:00–7:30 p.m.
DrePunct Library / Makerspace M1
From Organic Waste to Maker Materials
Bio-leather from kombucha? Get creative with homemade “biomaterials” made from food scraps! The Institute for Waste and Resource Management at TU Dresden will explain the realities of food waste and the technical possibilities for processing organic waste, while we’ll demonstrate practical ways to create new materials from food scraps in the Makerspace and how to further process them using the Makerspace’s equipment.
There are 20 spots available for the workshop portion. We ask that you register for this. Everyone is welcome to attend the lecture, even without registering.
November 25, 2026 | 4:00–7:30 p.m.
Drepunct Library / Makerspace M1
Maker Vision Board: Giving Old Banners a New Life
Feeling overwhelmed by proper waste sorting? Questions can arise, especially when it comes to textiles. The Department of Urban Greenery and Waste Management is here to help and will be available in the Makerspace to offer advice on textile disposal. If you want to do more than just dispose of old textiles properly—if you want to create something new from them—we also have materials, ideas, and support for you here! New covers for electronic devices or collaged textile wall art?—All projects and ideas are welcome.
Old tarps and banners were contributed by the Green Office at TU Dresden and the Office for Urban Greenery.
There are 20 spots available for the workshop portion. We ask that you register in advance. Those who wish to receive advice only are also welcome without registering!
December 7, 2026 | 4:00–7:30 p.m.
DrePunct Library / Makerspace M1
Maker Vision Board: Christmas Edition
Your last-minute Christmas gift can be sustainable! Together with you, we’ll make candle arches and other festive (gift) ideas—using old scraps of material! Because not everything that glitters has to be new. We’ll learn what the concept of “sufficiency” means from Professor Christina Dornack of the IAK.
There are 20 spots available for the workshop. Please register in advance. There is no limit on the number of participants for the lecture.
A series of events presented by
