Pupils join TerraCycle scheme

The City of Durham Parish Council has been working with schools in the community on the scheme.

TerraCycle, a company which recycles typically hard-to-recycle waste, is also involved, and has provided pupils with Zero Waste Boxes.

The price of each box includes the cost of Terracycle shipping the empty box to the school, a pre-paid shipping label so it can be sent back once full and the major cost which is to recycle all the otherwise non-recyclable material.

Claire Jones, school business manager at St Margaret’s Primary School on Crossgate Peth, one of the partnership schools involved with the scheme, said: “We are delighted that the City of Durham Parish Council have kindly funded a Terracycle Crisp and Snack Packet recycling box.

“The children at St Margaret’s are passionate about environmental issues and our Green Team are working hard on raising awareness within our school community.

“We are already a community recycling point for oral care products and have so far collected several kilos worth of products that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

“The Snack, Crisp and Sweet Wrapper Zero Waste box is a great way for our children to get involved in the recycling project. The box is already filling up fast.”

Councillor Victoria Ashfield, chairwoman of the City of Durham Parish Council environment committee, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be involved with pupils from St Margaret’s School as they launched their scheme to recycle crisp packets.

“These are really “ hard to recycle” every day products. The school already recycles toothpaste tubes, courtesy of a company called Terracycle, and approached the parish council to fund more recycling efforts.

“The parish council will support any school in our area who would like to get involved in the scheme and we can fund a box to support the schools.”

Fellow Parish Councillor Mandy Ross added: “The enthusiasm of the pupils from schools we are working with on environmental issues is overwhelming.”