Visit from an Expert -- Recycling

A huge part of Goal #12 is reducing waste and recycling it. Today Mr. Haris Elefteriades, manager of the Waste Plant in Larnaca visited our school to tell us what happens to our rubbish after it leaves our home. He explains the vital importance of separating our rubbish (i.e. recycling) and what happens to our rubbish after it is collected from our house. He shows us the process and machines used in order to separate, compress and discard it. Since 2015 recycling at Little Gems has been part of our culture, where we have organised recycling bins for each classroom with the children (paper & plastic). In 2016 we created the ‘Upcycler’ where certain materials were saved from our homes and made available in our Upcycler area for the children to choose and then repurpose into whatever their imaginations can picture. Cereal boxes, tetrapacks, celotape spools, empty jars, and several other things suddenly become buildings, vehicles, bracelets, terrariums to name just a few!

‘Encouraging industries, businesses and consumers to recycle and reduce waste is equally important, as is supporting developing countries to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption by 2030’ – United Nations Development Programme

To further broaden our initiative in this area, further areas were selected and dedicated by the children for larger recycling bins such as the kitchen, bathrooms, outdoors so that members from our community could use them for their waste too, such as families separating their rubbish together and using our bins in the mornings. When full, the children help empty them and place them into their corresponding recycling pick up points and placed in the recycling bins. Together we have significantly reduced our daily waste!