Black Country Rubbish Challenge

Eco Schools

What is Eco Schools? http://www.eco-schools.org.uk/
Eco Schools is much more than an environmental management system for schools. It is a programme for promoting environmental awareness in a way that links to many curriculum subjects, including citizenship, personal, social and health education (PSHE) and education for sustainable development. It is also an award scheme that will raise the profile of your school in the wider community.

The Eco Schools process is holistic. It works by involving the whole school (pupils, teachers, non-teaching staff and governors) together with members of the local community (parents, the local authority, the media and local businesses). It will encourage teamwork and help to create a shared understanding of what it takes to run a school in a way that respects and enhances the environment.

Eco Schools offers your school:

• an opportunity to make environmental issues a part of the life of the school
• an opportunity to help develop young people's decision-making skills
• curriculum materials and ideas for projects and events
• access to a network of support agencies
• links with other schools in the UK and Europe
• a prestigious award
• opportunities for local and national publicity
• potential for financial savings.

It requires:

• the support of the headteacher and governors
• a willingness to involve pupils in decision-making and action at every stage
• active involvement of staff and the wider school community
• a willingness to take action to instigate long-term change. 

Recycool
Did you know, there are over 75 million old and unwanted mobile phones lying around in homes and businesses in the UK? That’s enough to go around the sides of a football pitch 32,000 times!

It’s crazy because old mobiles are worth money. They can be refurbished and sold to developing countries or broken ones can be taken to pieces and recycled.

Old printer cartridges are also worth money. Rather than sending them to landfill, they can be refilled and sold as recycled items.

And better still, the money earned from recycling mobiles and cartridges can be given to schools and nurseries, thanks to a programme called Recycool.

Here's how it works:

• schools, businesses etc sign up via the Recycool website;
• schools are given their own account number;
• organisations choose a school to raise money for;
• Recycool gives you an eye-catching collection box;
• Recycool comes to collect from you free of charge;
• money raised from recycling gets added to the school’s account and the school gets a cheque when it wants to spend the money.
• schools can use the money how they like - for example: for new sports equipment, school balls or towards a new minibus. Some choose to donate it to a charity or use it for a local community event. The possibilities are endless!

Rob Morton from Recycool says: "With over 3,000 Schools recycling with us at the moment, the fact that Recycool can help towards Eco-Schools awards and over £375,000 being raised for these Schools since 1999; those who aren't signed up are missing out on a project that not only teaches kids about the environment, but enterprise and citizenship too."

The website gives all the details and is packed full of fun facts and things to do, including regular competitions with great prizes.

There's a monthly list showing what can be recycled and how much it's worth and schools can keep track online of what they’ve earned and who’s collected money for them.

If you only have one old mobile or a couple of spent inkjet cartridges, you can still take part - Recycool have freepost envelopes so you can recycle by post.

For more information, visit the Recycool website or call 0845 1 30 20 10 (calls charged at local rate).