More than 60,000 primary school children have now benefitted from lessons in waste reduction thanks to Somerset Council.
Popular Schools Against Waste (SAW) waste-reduction workshops are delivered on behalf of the Council by Carymoor Environmental Trust.
The SAW programme began in 2018 and last year the team reached the milestone of 60,000 primary schoolchildren in Somerset having learnt about recycling, waste reduction and how to properly sort materials.
As well as reaching the milestone, in 2024 the team:
- visited 38 schools
- reached 4600 children in assemblies, workshops and learning days
- delivered 90 workshops engaging 2,325 children
Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s Executive Member for Transport and Waste Services, said:
We’re pleased to be able to offer Somerset schoolchildren the opportunity to learn about reuse and recycling. Sharing information about recycling to more than 60,000 children is an impressive milestone.
We know that many children are advocates for recycling at home. It’s great to see the next generation enjoy learning about where their recycling goes.
Teachers in Somerset have praised the SAW team and the most frequent feedback received is that the sessions are “informative, engaging, and fun” and the staff: “enthusiastic, engaging, and knowledgeable”.
Gary Hunt from Carymoor Environmental Trust said:
It has been a real pleasure to be involved in this project. The schools are always so appreciative of the visits, and we know that the sessions work as a real catalyst for change. Not only do children and teachers take action to reduce waste, but we know the message gets home to parents too.
To have reached over 60,000 children is an incredible milestone and we hope the project will continue to go from strength to strength.
Feedback shows that the Schools Against Waste visits inspire children to act on waste, with more than 35% of teachers saying the visit inspired a new or existing eco-club. Teachers agree that the sessions help to provide an understanding of what happens to waste, and how to reduce it.
A teacher from Keinton Mandeville Primary School said:
The children really enjoyed the engaging nature of the workshops and the assembly. They learned lots about what they could recycle and what is done with the rubbish that is collected.
The Schools Against Waste team have begun developing an electricals reuse, repair and recycling workshop, which they hope will be ready later in the year.
SAW is funded by Somerset Council and is available to Somerset Schools that teach children in Key stage 1 and 2. For more information visit the Carymoor Environmental Trust website.
