Schools Recycling Programme

The Schools Recycling Programme offers schools the opportunity to receive free help and advice about recycling through practical, fun and sustained learning. The programme will not only educate children about the need to recycle, but will also help you reduce the amount of rubbish you produce and ensure you recycle and compost as much as possible.

Benefits to the school

• A great project for your school council or green group to lead on
• An externally led project with expert support
• An opportunity to save money and resources
• A means of gaining accreditation towards Eco Schools and Sustainable Schools
• A lot of FUN!!

How does the programme work?

One of our team of Education Officers will visit your school and run three sessions over a term. The Officer will ideally be working with a school council or ‘green group’ made up of representatives from different year groups, who are able to represent the school body and have the support of the staff and governors to implement significant beneficial changes.

Through fun, applied group activities, the programme is designed to educate the children about why we need to recycle, what materials can be recycled and how.

By the end of the programme, the aim is to have created an educated and self sufficient group who are able to organise and manage recycling, composting and waste minimisation activities within the school.

• The first visit

  This looks at the bigger picture and highlights how our actions affect the world as a whole, before then focusing on recycling and explaining how the children can make a difference. This will include looking at the benefits of recycling and then examining the rubbish within the school and identifying some of the items that could be recycled.

• The second visit

  This involves outlining all of the items that can be recycled, how they are recycled and the value of recycling. The children are given the opportunity to operate the Mini Materials Recovery Facility to see how recyclables are separated within Hampshire and then discover how the material can be turned into new things! Having a better understanding of what can be recycled and how, the Education Officer will then help the children to form an action plan of improvements for the school.

• The third visit

  This recaps many of the points learnt in the first two visits, but the main focus is to find out how the action plan is going. The Education Officer will discuss the group’s achievements, talk through any difficulties and work with the group to suggest further actions. Its not all work though! The group then has the chance to take part in a ‘making session’ which is flexible to fit in with the particular needs and interests of your school. For example, it can be used to cover composting and involve creating compost ‘mini beasts’ or you can have a go at paper-making!

Although the programme is self contained within three visits, the support will not end there. The Education Officer will continue to offer your school support and advice and will carry out a follow up visit with the school six months down the line to see what additional progress has been made since taking part!

Download the programme pack for further information

If you are interested in signing up to the programme, please at contact us at recycleforhampshire@hants.gov.uk or contact the Education Officer for your area below.

Schools Education Officers

Area	Name	Email	Telephone
South West Hampshire	Jean MacGrory	jean.macgrory@hants.gov.uk	07894 395792
South East Hampshire	Lesley Price	lesley.price@hants.gov.uk	07894 395794
North Hampshire	Rachel Butler	rachel.butler@hants.gov.uk	07894 395793