The results of the audit showed that the main problem in our school were crisp packets and plastic writing material, that were not recycled properly.
Our action was to start collecting all the plastic writing material in separate trays in each classroom and to collect them when they fill up. We did some research and found out that a youth organisation called Youth Services Ltd were supporting schools in recycling waste so we contacted them and arranged for our pens to be collected regularly.
Another type of plastic that was problematic were crisp packets. Eventually, we want the children to switch to bringing portions of crisps in their packed lunches in reusable lunch boxes. However, that takes time, and until that switch happens, we decided to discard crisp and chocolate wrappers in specially designated blue bins, and take them personally (weekly or fortnightly) to the nearest supermarket, that takes them for recycling.
Through posters all around our school we informed the children, and in our half-termly newsletter, the parents could read about our actions too.
We can confidently say that now all the children in our school know about and take part in adequately discarding the most common single-use plastic waste in Scraptoft Valley Primary School.
