UK recycling and renewable energy company Viridor visited Avonmouth C of E Primary School as part of the school’s first “Green Week” to explore with pupils topics around waste and recycling.

Viridor are currently building a new £252 million Resource Recovery Centre in Avonmouth and were invited by the school to address pupils at their “Green Week” assembly and run a workshop for the school’s ‘Eco Team’.

Teaching children about recycling from a young age means that it is more likely to become normal behaviour into adulthood. Engaging with students and community groups helps raise understanding of the need to give resources new life.

That is why Viridor work with schools, colleges and community groups, near to their facilities across the UK, to help promote better understanding and best practice in waste reduction, recycling, recovery, resource management and sustainability.

Jessica Baker-Pike, Learning Manager at Viridor said:

“We had a fun-packed morning taking part in Avonmouth C of E Primary School’s ‘Green Week’.
We explored what the different types of waste are; what can and can’t be recycled; how important ‘Right Stuff, Right Bin’ is; what the Avonmouth Resource Recovery Centre will do when it is open and what pupils and their families can do to reduce their waste.

The school’s new ‘Eco Team’ identified some challenges for the school to meet over the coming months including looking at what the school buys and how small changes can make a big difference.

I’m looking forward to coming back next year and seeing all the good things they will have achieved!”

Nicky McMahon, Head teacher at Avonmouth C of E Primary School and Nursery added:

“We were delighted to welcome Viridor to our school to take part in our ‘Green Week’. We’ve had a very exciting and engaging week, with children across the school from Nursery through to Year Six keen to learn about how they can do their bit and be involved in looking after our planet. The session led by Viridor also inspired the children, as they learnt about the new Viridor facility in Avonmouth and what else can be done to support with reducing, reusing and recycling.”

The Taunton-based company has also recently been working with the local community to promote the recruitment drive for staff to operate the Avonmouth centre which will use environmentally sustainable technology to divert 320,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste away from landfill.

When operational Viridor will generate around 34MW of low carbon energy, enough electrical power to supply around 44,000 homes, the equivalent of a population larger than the city of Bath.