Date published: 2025-07-17 | Category: Climate Emergency, Focusing on prevention, Waste and Recycling
Interactive workshops that encourage good recycling practices in young children and were shortlisted for a national award have returned to primary schools across Bath and North East Somerset.
Bath & North East Somerset Council was a finalist in the Social Value within a Community award at this year’s Let’s Recycle’s Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management for workshops it ran in 2024, which saw 160 children with school staff and volunteer parents learning how to identify and sort electrical waste for recycling.
This year’s workshops which ran from May to July saw 12 schools and around 500 Year 5 and 6 children take part in fun and engaging educational activities run by Sustainable Hive and Share and Repair to help children learn more about recycling electrical waste.
The workshops in 2024 and 2025 were fully funded by Valpak, a waste management and recycling service that partners with the council to remove and recycle electrical and electronic equipment. Every primary school in B&NES has now been offered the chance to take part in a workshop.
Councillor Mark Elliott, Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “We’re delighted that the success of the pilot workshops last year has led to 500 more children having the opportunity to get involved in some creative and educational recycling activities this year. The workshops support our wider aims to engage communities by instilling responsible recycling habits in young minds that will hopefully carry forward into their rest of their lives. The workshops are an excellent community resource and we are very pleased they received national recognition at the recent Let’s Recycle awards.”
James Nash, Valpak’s Commercial Manager, said: “We’re proud to support workshops that inspire the next generation to think differently about waste. Helping children understand the importance of recycling electrical items is a key step toward building a more sustainable future.”
Following their workshop, St John's C of E School in Midsomer Norton said: “We loved the amount of ‘new’ information shared – the children were genuinely surprised by the facts shared about recycling and this fostered the perfect curiosity and sense of awe needed for learning. No notes for improvements at all – thank you! We would love to book again – children have loved every second!”
Marksbury Primary School added: “We loved the hands-on practical session and the children had a fabulous time. Lots of great information which will inspire the children to be more conscientious with recycling and how important it is.”
The other schools which took part in this year’s workshops are:
- St Philip’s Primary School, Bath
- Newbridge Primary School, Bath,
- Trinity Church School, Radstock
- Welton Primary School, Midsomer Norton, Radstock
- Paulton Junior School, Paulton
- Longvernal Primary School, Midsomer Norton, Radstock
- Bathford Primary School, Bathford
- Bishop Sutton Primary School, Bishop Sutton
- Pensford Primary School, Pensford
- Cameley Primary School, Temple Cloud
Find out more about how to recycle in B&NES
ENDS