Young Eco-Champions Lead the Way in School Recycling Initiative

This month a group of pupils from Dartmouth Academy, part of Education South West, participated in an exciting ‘Waste Action Day’, aimed at improving recycling across the school. 

Working alongside Alex and Izzy from Resources Futures, the pupils reviewed the results of a recent recycling audit and discussed what actions were needed to make a real difference.

The children then got creative, designing eye-catching bin labels and posters using scrap and best paper to clearly show where recycling should go and which materials belong in each bin. Pupils also collaborated to write an assembly script, learned a fun recycling song, and played an interactive game to deepen their understanding of why reducing, reusing, and recycling matters.

In the afternoon, the pupils confidently presented their assembly to the whole primary school, sharing what they had learned and demonstrating how everyone can recycle better. They highlighted the locations of recycling bins and explained how to use them correctly, ensuring that the message reached the entire school community.

Jennifer Tierney, Primary Principal at Dartmouth Academy, said: “The enthusiasm and creativity our pupils showed during Waste Action Day was incredible. Not only have they helped improve our recycling systems, but they have also become true eco-champions, inspiring the whole school to take better care of the environment.”

Matthew Shanks, CEO of Education South West said: "It’s fantastic to see our pupils taking the lead in protecting the environment. Waste Action Day not only teaches important lessons about recycling and sustainability, but it also empowers children to make a real difference in their school and community. Initiatives like this show the positive impact young people can have when given the tools and support to take action."