Page 24 - Day of Action

5.2

What can we do?

IDEAS

Hold a Plastic or Waste Free Lunchbox Day. Compare the amount of waste from a regular lunch day with a waste free day. Consider alternatives
to plastic packaging or throwaway containers. Create an information sheet to take home and put it on the website. You could also investigate
school dinners. Can you reduce the amount of milk bottle plastic by purchasing larger containers or changing to glass bottles? Can you change
to refillable bottles and cups if you use disposable ones?

Investigate paper use, reuse and recycling throughout the school. Include classrooms, offices, staff rooms and corridors. Pupils could become
bin detectives and carry out hot spot checks to get a true picture of paper recycling. Find out what information goes out via email or text, could
this be improved?

Does your school give out plastic straws? Do you need them? Investigate the problems they cause and make a whole-school pledge to
become a plastic straw free school. Why not take your message into your local community. Watch the “Straw No More” video

Give your school a no landfill challenge for the day! How could you avoid putting anything into the bins?

Look into your bins! Identify any items that are made from plastic. Where did they come from? Have they been brought in to school or
given/sold to pupils inside the school? How could this be reduced? Could these items have been refused, reused or recycled? Could a more
environmentally friendly product have been used instead? You could repeat this investigation looking at plastic polluters in your school
grounds.

Hold a plastic reduction day! How many alternatives can you find? Get everybody to make a plastic pledge.

Carry out creative activities such as junk modelling, scrap book design, handmade paper making, junk musical instruments and upcycling
items. Reuse plastic for art and craft activities, create containers, plant pots, bird feeders and creatures. Some schools have even created
greenhouses and igloos! Redesign the recycling bins and create informative posters.