Challenge activities
We have listed below all the different ways you can score points to improve your school position on the Challenge leader board!
• Reduce paper useage
• Reuse
• Close the loop
• Communicate
• Compost
• Take action
Download the
Action Points PDF for a complete listing.
REDUCE
Reduce
Reduce paper useage - this makes up approximately 60% of school waste!
Limit teacher and office printing and photocopying. 5 POINTS
Make sure your school printer and photocopier also print double sided, and that everyone knows how to do this. 5 POINTS
Create scrap paper trays in every classroom. 5 POINTS for each year group.
Organise a day when only scrap paper is used, (this can be more of a challenge for teachers than pupils!) 50 POINTS
Ensure staff know how to save documents electronically, rather than printing off large amounts of paper. 50 POINTS
Set out specific recycling bins around the school, each classroom should have one!
60 POINTS per year group.
Offer parents the facility to receive text messages in place of notes home. 60 POINTS
Offer parents and Governors the facility to receive emails rather than paper-based information 60 POINTS
REUSE
Reuse
Reuse old display materials to form a new display or for arts and crafts. 5 POINTS
Set up an arts and craft bin for all left over materials. 10 POINTS
Arrange for empty fruit boxes to be sent back, and reused by the supplier 25 POINTS
Create your own Christmas decorations using rubbish you can't recycle, and use them to decorate the school Christmas tree 25 POINTS
Arrange a Bring and Buy or a Swap Shop event to save old clothes and toys from landfill.
40 POINTS for each event. BONUS POINTS - score an extra 30 POINTS if you invite your local press to attend!
Organise a competition to create sculptures from rubbish, (and please send us the photos!) 40 POINTS
Use re-useable plastic bottles rather than plastic cups everyday, Instead of using plastic cups for every lunchtime and throwing them all away, why not try asking each child to use a re-useable drinks bottle 40 POINTS
Make sure the staff room has reusable crockery rather than plastic cups and disposable cutlery 40 POINTS
CLOSE
Close the Loop
Ask your Office Manager to start buying recycled products, i.e. paper, toilet rolls, pencils. Score 20 POINTS for each product.
COMMUNICATE
Communicate
Write an article for the school newsletter, telling parents what you've been doing to reduce rubbish and increase recycling at school. We'd love to receive a copy too! Score 20 POINTS for each article.
Design and display posters about the need to 'reduce, reuse and recycle'. 25 POINTS for each design used.
Have clear, easily recognised labels so that children know which bins are for litter,
and which bins are for recycling 25 POINTS
Create an Eco notice board. This could include what can and can't go in the recycling bins and tips for reducing and reusing rubbish 25 POINTS
Hold a school assembly on recycling, led by the waste action group 25 POINTS BONUS POINTS - we'll award you an extra 50 POINTS if you invite parents to attend as well!
Deliver a presentation on recycling to groups of school staff such as the caretaker/site manager, cleaners, cooks and office staff and ask for their input in the school's recycling and waste activities 25 POINTS per presentation.
Design and create a recycling or eco-themed board game, (and keep it safe to use on wet play days!) 50 POINTS
Create an outfit using rubbish or old, unwanted clothing and show off your efforts by organising a fashion show. 50 POINTS BONUS POINTS - score an extra 50 POINTS
if you invite parents to attend!
Collect all the rubbish created at school over a day and display it in an area to highlight to pupils and teachers, just how much they throw away each week. 60 POINTS
Create a recycling website, or add a dedicated section to your school's website to tell everyone what you're doing to recycle at school. Don't forget to send us a link! 60 POINTS
Contact your local supermarket and ask them how they are trying to reduce packaging waste. 100 POINTS
Sending us a completed feedback form after a visit from the Waste Education Officer will gain you. 20 POINTS
COMPOST
Compost
Set up class composting system for your fruit waste. 30 POINTS per class.
Build or buy a wormery. 60 POINTS for each one.
We have built or invested in a compost bin. 60 POINTS
Sell your worm wee to parents as houseplant fertiliser! 100 POINTS
We received a free compost bin available from Gloucestershire County Council (Call 01452 426525). Score 100 POINTS for each one you use
Send us a photo of your finished compost in use. 100 POINTS
COMPOST
Take Action
Incorporate recycling into school events, i.e. recycling bins at school discos and reusable crockery for the summer fetes. 25 POINTS for each event per class.
Enter a Recycle for Gloucestershire competition, look out for them on the web pages. Score 25 POINTS for each competition entered.
Recruit recycling monitors from each class. 25 POINTS
Recycle your school Christmas tree, (but don't forget to take all the decorations off first!)
40 POINTS
We recycled our Christmas cards. 50 POINTS
Organise collections of further recyclable material, i.e. printer cartridges, textiles, mobile phones. Score 50 POINTS for each collection set up.
Introduce waste free packed lunch days, make sure parents are aware and involved in the scheme. 50 POINTS
Develop and send out a survey for parents to find out what they recycle at home, and display the results in school or put them in the schools newsletter . 50 POINTS
Send us the results for an extra 10 POINTS!
Set up an Eco-shop in your school for pupils, selling a range of recycled or sustainable items such as recycled stationary. 60 POINTS
Sign up to a Recycling Collection Service. 75 POINTS
Complete a waste audit, to see how much and what type of waste your school is producing. 80 POINTS
Organise a waste action group. 100 POINTS
Invite the Waste Education Officer into school as part of your campaign to raise the awareness of recycling. 100 POINTS for each different workshop booked.
COMPOST
Take More Action
We are taking action on energy, water, travel, healthy eating and litter. 25 POINTS each.
