Up and down the country from Monday 2nd to Friday 6th June 2008, local authorities, schools and independent organisations will be holding events to support Recycle Week 2008.
Recycle Week is all about showing people that:
- there are lots of things we can all do to recycle more;
- why it’s important to recycle and that recycling really does help the environment; and
- your actions can make a big difference.
Recycle Week is a great opportunity for schools to review their recycling activities and for students to look at their recycling actions at home, taking the ‘just one more thing’ message with them. The fun activities below will really bring recycling to life for pupils by raising awareness and getting everyone in the school involved in celebrating Recycle Week.
Living Swoosh Recycle Week Assembly Recycling Display Waste-Free Lunch day Recycle Races Waste AUdit and Action Plan Recycle week Homework Activity (Primary) Recycle week Homework Activity (Secondary)  | Pupils and staff can show that their school is supporting Recycle Week by creating a life-sized Recycle Now "swoosh" and receive some great recycled goodies for their efforts. Using a large space (e.g. the school hall, gym, playground or sports field) get members of the school to stand together to create a giant "swoosh" shape for a really effective photograph. To make your "swoosh" even more authentic, encourage pupils to wear something green to school, or get creative with face paints and give everyone a "swoosh" for the day. As these photos will be viewed on the internet, it is preferable to avoid focusing in on students' faces and your school's photograph permissions policy should be followed at all times. Upload your school's photo onto the Recycle Week website, where it will be included in a huge "swoosh" created from every photo sent in from across the country - visually showing that individual actions can add up to make a big difference! It’s also a chance to let the world know what your school is doing to celebrate Recycle Week and improve your local environment. The first schools to upload their photos will be sent a great package of recycled goodies! Once you’ve taken your photograph, why not upload the photo to your own school website, add it to your school newsletter or turn your picture into a poster for display in school with pupils’ thoughts about recycling. If you have any problems please contact us at schools@wrap.org.uk |
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 | You can kick off Recycle Week at your school with a special Recycle Week assembly. This is a great way to make sure everyone in the school knows that it is recycle week, hears the week’s key messages and is aware of what they can do to get involved. A Recycle Week assembly PowerPoint presentation is available to download. It is intended to be used for a 10-15 minute assembly and the notes on each slide are there to provide you with information which you can adapt to the age group and ability of your audience. There are also suggestions for student involvement and visual props you might like to use. Download presentation |
 | A great way to let everyone know about your Recycle Week activities is to create a recycling display in your school foyer, hall, or classroom. You could use the display to show what can be recycled in your area, what happens to your recycling, or the environmental benefits of recycling. You could even showcase recycling-related work from pupils, e.g. creative writing telling the recycling story, poems, artwork etc. But these are just a few suggestions - for more inspiration for your recycling display, play “the possibilities are endless” recycling card game, or watch the Recycle Now TV adverts. |
 | Children love picnics so why not take advantage of the summer and raise awareness for Recycle Week by running a waste-free lunch event at your school. In the weeks leading up to the event, arrange a day with parents when as many pupils as possible bring in the ‘greenest’ possible packed lunch to enjoy together on a school playing field or playground. In preparation, teachers should run sessions with their pupils to look at the waste they currently create in their lunchbox and how they can reduce it. This could be as easy as packing sandwiches in reusable boxes rather than plastic bags or foil and bringing a flask of drink rather than individual cartons or bottles. Don’t forget about composting too - make sure pupils know where their apple core or banana skin can go instead of the bin! |
 | Improve students’ knowledge and understanding of what can be recycled in your area in a fun way. This lively game is a great way to teach pupils about which materials can be recycled or composted and bring recycling to life. Not only will pupils learn about what they can do to recycle their waste at school, they’ll also take their knowledge home with them, so they can give their families a lesson on recycling too! |
 | Get an idea of the types and quantities of waste your school produces by sorting materials in this hands-on activity. The results can be a great basis for starting some recycling activity if your school is not already doing it; or for reviewing how well your recycling scheme is working and if there are any areas you could improve. The student-led action plan can be a great way of creating a long-lasting legacy from Recycle Week in your school - a feeling of ownership by students means they’ll be more likely to carry on the good work long after Recycle Week is over. Download Waste Audit activity guide |
 | Encourage primary school pupils to recycle “just one more thing” at home using this A4 homework sheet. Featuring a picture of a home with four rooms (bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen) pupils can find and colour in different items in the rooms each time they are recycled. This will encourage them (and their parents) to look around the house for new places and things to recycle. At the end of the week the sheets can be used in school for a classroom discussion, or to provide data for other lesson activities. |
 | Encourage secondary school pupils to think about “just one more thing” they can recycle at homework activity. This activity will help them identify and record the extra things they recycle from around their home that week as well as giving students the opportunity to reflect on why it's important to recycle and what effects their recycling efforts can have. At the end of the week the sheets can be used in school for a classroom discussion, or to provide data for other lesson activities. |