Waste Watch, the national organisation that promotes practical action on waste reduction, reuse and recycling, is commissioning a two-year academic research project to evaluate the waste education programme, Schools Waste Action Club (SWAC) alongside other waste education initiatives currently running in Essex.
Waste education in schools has long been promoted by Waste Watch and many recycling officers as an important to raise awareness of recycling. The organisation says that the research will look at how the education programme has been effective in helping to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill in Essex. And, the study is seen as useful in helping determine the effectiveness of the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” message in a national context.
Importantly, the research will investigate “to what extent children take their knowledge of waste minimisation back home, and how this influences the behaviour of their families.”
Barbara Herridge, Waste Watch’s executive director said: “Waste Watch is pleased to be able to conduct research into waste education programmes operating in Essex. We believe that waste education in schools is an invaluable way of spreading the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ message. Thanks to funding by our project partners, not only we will be able to analyse the impact the research has on pupils and their families in Essex, we will also be able to offer the findings of this research as a benchmark for other UK waste education programmes.”
Funding for the research project is provided by Cory Environmental, The Essex Environmental Trust and Essex County Council and anyone interested in carrying out the commission should email Waste Watch.
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