PUPILS BIDDING TO BE WASTE WARRIORS FOR COMPOST CAMPAIGN
School makes eco-contest prize shortlist
PUPILS at an infant school in the city have been shortlisted for a prize in a nationwide competition to encourage people to cut down on food waste by doing more composting.
Jackfield Infant School in Burslem is taking part in the Community Compost competition which has been launched by the Modern Milkman.
It is calling for primary schools to get involved to educate children across the UK on why it’s time to toss our banana skins on the heap, rather than in the bin.
Having already saved more than 30 million plastic bottles from landfill, the sustainable brand is now working alongside the Circular Economy Network at Manchester Metropolitan University to encourage people to commit to composting in a bid to reduce household waste.
Latest figures show UK households produce more than 6 million tonnes of food waste per year. Currently, less than 10 per cent of this waste is composted at home.
Each school taking part, will be provided with their very own compost heap and expert guidance from the Modern Milkman and Manchester Metropolitan University teams on how to use it.
The class that produces the most waste will be crowned Waste Warriors of 2022 and rewarded with a host of Modern Milkman goodies, as well as £3,000 to put towards a sustainable initiative that will have an eco-impact on their school.
That could be an allotment to grow
DIY herbs and veg, better recycling facilities or sustainability training.
A Jackfield spokesperson said the school’s location meant there was ‘very limited green space’, so it was important to provide children with as many opportunities as possible to learn about the environment.
They added: “Our school council proposed to create areas around the school where we could grow plants, flowers and vegetables. Their first step was to add planters around the school and plant a variety of flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables.
“One of our staff entered the Modern Milkman ‘Community Composting’ competition and we were delighted when Jackfield Infant School was chosen. The composting competition will provide opportunities for our children to learn about composting and its importance in reducing waste from school. We aim to develop this as a wider community project by involving our parents and reducing waste in the home.”
Simon Mellin, founder of The Modern Milkman, said: “We want to show kids, teachers, and parents just how easy it is to start composting, and the benefits of doing so. We want to show support to the brilliant schools across the country and work with them to teach children from a young age about composting, so they hopefully take it home and inspire the rest of the family to do the same.”
Dr Carly Fletcher, Research Associate at the Manchester Metropolitan University and Bioplastics Europe, added: “Composting is a brilliant way to see the circular economy in action. We believe that this campaign has the ability to really make a difference.”