Release date: 2 August 2024
School children of all ages in West Sussex will be able to continue learning about the challenges facing the environment, thanks to a new contract. The West Sussex Waste Partnership (WSWP) has signed a new contract with UK based environmental education organisation Wastebuster, to provide educational information and resources to schools across the county, covering topics such as waste reduction, climate change, and the impact of recycling.
The programme includes lesson plans, information, and competitions, all targeted at pupils ranging from primary age through to secondary school, with downloadable resources for teachers and home-schooling parents. These will be offered to all West Sussex schools free of charge, as it is fully funded by the WSWP.
West Sussex County Council and the WSWP have provided schools at Key Stages 1 and 2 with a waste education programme via a third-party contract for several years. The programme has included dedicated webpages offering access to information on waste prevention and recycling and now includes climate, water, and energy themed educational resources linked to the National Curriculum (for online viewing, interaction and/or download); competitions; case studies; and schools liaison/engagement services.
From 2022, the Council has also offered a waste and climate change education programme to schools at Key Stages 3 and 4.
The council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change Cllr Deborah Urquhart said: “We are excited to be working with Wastebuster again to provide waste prevention, recycling and climate education to children and young people all across West Sussex. An important element of our Council Plan is to protect the environment by reducing the amount of waste we must process. This new contract will enable all school users across the county to access materials that will help them learn not only about recycling and waste prevention at home and school, but also about how their actions have an impact on the environment and emissions as a whole. I hope this will have a lasting impact for generations to come.”
Katy Newnham, Director, Wastebuster added: ”We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with the West Sussex Waste Partnership, supporting West Sussex schools in their efforts to educate, inspire, and empower children and young people to drive positive change. This partnership enables us to assist schools in delivering their Climate Action Plans effectively while unlocking considerable environmental and financial savings.”
The free schools' waste education programme is available via the Wastebuster schools’ website.
