A hands-on project has helped schoolchildren dramatically improve recycling rates, with pupils getting stuck into sorting through rubbish to see first-hand how small changes can make a big environmental difference.
Pupils at Charleton CofE Academy, part of the Learning Academy Partnership, are celebrating after a year-long effort to improve recycling across the school increased the amount of waste being recycled from 60 per cent to 74 per cent.
Working alongside environmental consultancy Resource Futures, pupils took part in a waste audit to learn more about the school’s environmental impact and the importance of recycling. During the exercise, children sorted through a day’s worth of school waste, weighing and categorising different materials before analysing the results.
The findings were compared with a similar audit carried out at the beginning of the academic year, showing a significant improvement in the school’s recycling performance. The increase follows a year of work by pupils and staff to encourage better recycling habits and more careful waste disposal across the school.
Headteacher Hannah Ruston said: “The waste audit was a brilliant learning opportunity, helping pupils understand where our waste comes from and what happens to it.
“It also reinforced the importance of making sustainable choices every day.
“As a school, we are committed to helping our children become responsible global citizens and this project has been a wonderful example of learning about sustainability in a meaningful and practical way.”
Tracey Cleverly, trust lead at the Learning Academy Partnership, said: “We are incredibly proud of the Charleton pupils and the enthusiasm they have shown throughout this project.
“The increase in recycling rates is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates the positive impact that young people can have when they are empowered to make a difference.”
The school said it plans to build on the success of the project by exploring further opportunities to improve its environmental sustainability.
