By Paul Maddox, Waste Watch’s Programme Manager for Education

Introduction

2007 will be Waste Watch's 20th year working to bring about behaviour change in waste and recycling. Our aim is to change public attitudes and encourage sustainable resource use. Key to this is their education work in schools across the country.

Britain's waste problem is becoming more and more serious. On average, each UK household produces more than a tonne of rubbish every year. Added together, that's enough to fill Lake Windermere, the largest lake in England, one and a half times over! Critically landfill sites where our rubbish is buried are filling up so there has never been a more important time to reduce waste and recycle rubbish.

By recycling we can also protect valuable resources, save energy and take action to help stop climate change. Recycling just one plastic bottle can save enough energy to light a 50 watt bulb for up to 12 hours. The good news is that schools can play a vital part in waste reduction. Waste Watch estimates that UK schools produce nearly 140,000 tonnes of waste per year - that's around six tonnes from each school or 26.5 kg per pupil.

Taking action

Waste reduction in primary and secondary schools can be a reality. Audits carried out before and after our work in schools have produced encouraging results. There was an average reduction of 41% in primary schools and even more in secondary schools. Some schools cut their waste by 80% - a truly outstanding achievement.

Our projects in schools also show that what the children learn in school can influence behaviour at home. Results from the first ‘Taking Home Action on Waste’ (THAW) project in Rotherham show that children have become ambassadors for their local recycling scheme, persuading their parents to either start recycling or recycle more carefully. Children have reported that their families are now reusing carrier bags and shopping with the environment in mind. Encouragingly there have been significant increases in the number of people putting out recycling in the area and an increase in the weight of materials collected.

A key element of Waste Watch's education programme is Recycler the rapping robot who has now visited over one million children in more than 5,000 schools. The robot puts across the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ message in a unique and entertaining way. Recycler has recently joined the Recycle Now campaign funded by WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) to explore new ways of encouraging schools to take action and to support children to take the message home.

There are also educational benefits to schools taking action on their waste.  Waste Watch's education work has contributed to the Healthy Schools agenda and it is clear that work on waste can fit into all three C's of the new Sustainable Schools framework - Campus, Curriculum and Community. Waste has clear links to a number of subjects, especially Science, Geography, Design & Technology and Citizenship. The practical nature of work on waste can also be particularly beneficial to those who learn by doing and benefits all by allowing the practical application of maths and language skills.

Saving money

Schools committed to reducing waste have also seen financial benefits as they are often charged for their rubbish collections - a figure which can be around £10 per bin per week. There can also be savings when purchasing in a more sustainable way, for example, by buying products made from recycled materials.

A few simple suggestions to help cut rubbish at your school

• Contact your local council's Recycling Officer to find out if they can provide your school with a recycling bank for paper or other materials.
• If you have a recycling bank, think about ways in which you can maximise its use.  Recycling collection points in all teaching areas and offices can make a huge difference.
• Make sure that all classrooms and offices have scrap paper trays to ensure that paper is fully used before it is recycled.
• The introduction of 'free fruit' schemes has greatly increased the amount of food waste produced by primary schools. Set up a composting scheme and use the finished product to improve your school grounds.
• Promote 'waste-free lunches' for those who bring a packed lunch. Encourage children to use reusable bottles and containers instead of disposable packaging.
• Buy recycled! Recycled paper is not of lower quality and now costs little or no more than 'virgin' paper.

For further information contact Waste Watch on 0207 549 0300 or email education@wastewatch.org.uk

Education resources can be found on Waste Watch's Recyclezone website www.recyclezone.org.uk