Over half of UK citizens aren’t recycling properly. Schools can join ‘The Big Recycling Hunt’ to help change that – and win up to £250!
Presently, over half of UK citizens dispose of items in the rubbish bin that could instead be recycled[1]. Recycle Now wants to inspire children aged five to eleven to help change that, with The Big Recycling Hunt – a nationwide hunt to find ‘lost recyclables’ that often end up in the rubbish bin.
Recycle Now’s fantastic free resources will help children (alongside their families and communities) improve their recycling habits and ensure we all learn more about what can be recycled and what can’t, so we can all be kinder to our planet.
Pupils can take part in engaging classroom and homework activities as they join the mission to locate recyclable items that mistakenly find their way into the rubbish bin, and return them to their rightful place in the recycling. School resources have been developed in collaboration with teachers, and link to the PSHE, Citizenship, English, and Art curriculums, support Personal Development, and help build active citizenship skills.
A pupil draws a poster during a recycling activity at Oakdale Junior School in London to launch ‘The Big Recycling Hunt’ as part of Recycle Week 2023, the UK’s largest national annual recycling campaign. PA Photo. Kieran Cleeves/PA Wire
Teachers have praised the resources for their comprehensiveness, and how easy they are to implement in the classroom. “There is a good range of competition activities so that teachers are able to select what would fit in best with their children or their teaching style,” one said. Another remarked: “There is definitely a need for these kind of resources – I have learnt about lost recyclables and think this is something that isn’t necessarily taught in schools.”
Pupils who get involved also have the opportunity to win some great prizes! The first prize of £250 can be put towards a sustainability-themed trip, experience or resources, and runners up will receive packs of eco-themed books for the school library. And by utilising the free school resources, you can even help pupils create competition entries in as little as 30 minutes.
CBBC Presenter, Mwaksy Mudenda and CEO of The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) Harriet Lamb visit Oakdale Junior School in London to launch ‘The Big Recycling Hunt’ as part of Recycle Week 2023, the UK’s largest national annual recycling campaign. PA Photo. Kieran Cleeves/PA Wire
It’s simple for children to get involved to be in with a chance of winning. Firstly, they will learn about how items should be recycled in their area; secondly, they will create a poster, leaflet, or even put on a performance to share with their school community; and thirdly, they need to share their creation with Recycle Now to be automatically entered into the prize draw.
Harriet Lamb, CEO of WRAP, said: “This initiative is about fostering a lasting commitment to sustainable living and environmental stewardship. By empowering children with the knowledge and tools to become recycling advocates, we are not only nurturing the future but also ensuring a healthier and more sustainable world for all. Join us in empowering the next generation of environmental champions!”
If you’d like some inspiration to help get your class started with their competition entries, check out Recycle Now’s video, featuring Harriet Lamb and CBBC and Blue Peter presenter Mwaksy Mudenda. During Recycle Week 2023, the pair visited a London primary school to see some amazing entries made right before their eyes!
CBBC Presenter, Mwaksy Mudenda interacts with pupil Fatma during a visit to Oakdale Junior School in London to launch ‘The Big Recycling Hunt’ as part of Recycle Week 2023, the UK’s largest national annual recycling campaign. PA Photo. Kieran Cleeves/PA Wire
Children can also take part in the recycling fun from home, with a fun family Selfie Challenge, to get parents and children learning together. Families can share a photo of one of the ‘lost recyclables’ in the wrong place, with a caption explaining where it would rather be (in the recycling)! Photos submitted via Recycle Now’s website will be entered into a monthly prize draw to win some book tokens.to win some book tokens.
The Big Recycling Hunt competition is closing soon, with all entries needing to be submitted by midnight on 30 November 2023. The Family Challenge prize draw is also open until 30 November 2023.
For more information, please visit: schools.recyclenow.com
[1] WRAP – Recycling Tracking Survey in the UK – spring 2023
