Norfolk kids tackle single-use plastics
They'll be looking how they can cut back at school
With single-use plastics making up 30,000 tonnes of waste in Norfolk every year, children are hoping to make a change.
They're setting their sights on gold in a new award scheme launching next week.
Single-use plastics costs the county £3.47million to dispose of every year.
National figures show single-use plastics make up around 50% of the plastic produced and careless disposal can cause huge problems with pollution.
The Reduce Single-Use Award Scheme aims to cut out single use plastics and will see Norfolk pupils pinpointing waste from single use plastics and products in their school, and setting targets to tackle the issues. As they work their way through the targets, they will earn bronze, silver and gold awards.
Cllr Andy Grant, Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste, said:
“The county council’s waste reduction and recycling team have done a fantastic job in creating this simple and fun award scheme which will give Norfolk pupils the chance to make a real and lasting difference in their school. This is part of the wider work we’re doing to help people to find simple but effective ways to cut down on their use of harmful and wasteful single use plastics and products, and includes our popular Swap2Save campaign and charter calling on people to pledge to stop releases of balloons and sky lanterns. We know our children can be some of the best and most inspirational advocates for us to find ways to cut waste and I’m looking forward to seeing and supporting the efforts of pupils in schools across the county as they build on some of the great work they’ve already done.”
The scheme is open to all schools and the county council’s expert team of waste reduction officers have put together a free downloadable resource pack with all the information and support schools need to guide schools through the process of cutting single-use plastic, plus lots of activity ideas and other resources.
Forty schools will also be in with the chance of securing £150 grant to help them to replace some of the single-use items that pupils have chosen to target in their school. This grant could perhaps be used for a set of reusable beakers and jugs to replace disposable cups/cartons, refillable sauce dispensers to use instead of individual sachets, reusable cutlery to replace throw away knives and forks or a refillable water bottle for each pupil.