Classroom ideas

Teachers could promote the waste hierarchy and teach about working to send as little waste as possible to landfill. Activities for this topic commonly include recycling difficult-to-recycle items, organising swaps, and preventing excessive resource use!

With plastic, the focus should be on not only recycling plastic correctly, but also on buying and using less single-use plastic in the first place. Any children who still bring to school single-use plastic water bottles can be encouraged to switch to reusable drinking bottles.

Recycle Week is usually in the autumn so you could focus on it then. The organisation Wrap has resources and ideas to help schools.
Plastic-free July!

The focus should be on not only recycling plastic correctly, but also on buying and using less single-use plastic in the first place.

Tips: Reducing Waste in your School

• Please check out our videos on our you tube channel on three schemes you can sign up to, to reduce waste and recycle in your school. One of the schemes mentioned include Terracycle which involves signing up to different recycling schemes and earning points that can be turned into money for a local charity or your school.

• Photocopying and paper – encourage teachers to print double sided, fit multiple sheets on one paper or for children to share copies. Have paper/card recycling bins by photocopiers, in staffrooms and every classroom, where possible.

• Conduct a survey on why food is wasted in school – is it the meals children don’t like? Are the portions too big? Could you start composting food waste and use this in your school allotment? Use this information to inform your next steps.  Take note of the new regulations for schools for recycling and waste

• Encourage children and parents to have plastic free lunches and share tips in your school newsletter/on your school website such as using reusable bags or pots instead of foil or cling-film.

• Educate staff and children about ways they can reduce waste – perhaps get your Eco Committee to lead the meeting or have an assembly.

• Browse second hand sites and charity shops for toys, games and resources you might need in the classroom. You can also advertise any equipment you no longer need in this way, rather than throwing it in the bin. The Eco Essex Rehome Reuse Repurpose Community is perfect for this. You could also host your own second hand sale or ‘swap’ for anything from school uniform to toys to books and it’s another great way of raising funds for your school.

• Make Eco bricks using plastic bottles and soft plastics. The website goes through the process and how to register your brick officially so that it can be used to create stools, walls etc.

• Use plastic waste from school or collected on a litter pick to create art work. Plastic bottle tops are a particularly great way of doing this.

Fundraising

It is possible for schools to raise money through collecting various materials for recycling