Curriculum Cymreig--Environment/Sustainable development--Recycling
There are many educational resources available in Wales that emphasize the importance of waste management, including the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Resources listed within Wales on the Web, that provide both general and educational information on these issues, include:
Below are a few examples of current recycling initiatives from across Wales.
Recycle-More is an information resource on recycling that provides help and advice about all aspects of recycling. The website has sections for schools, households and businesses, providing information about different forms of recycling such as aluminium, glass, paper, plastics, wood and steel. The 'bank locator' enables you to find the nearest recycling facility by entering postcode or placename. It also enables you to search by type of material you want to recycle and has details of kerbside collections throughout the UK.
Waste Awareness Wales was established in September 2002 as a joint Welsh Local Government Association and Keep Wales Tidy project funded by the Welsh Assembly Government. The project aims to encourage awareness of waste which results in practical action to reduce, reuse and recycle amongst all sectors of the community. Information about Waste Awareness Wales and recycling are provided on the website.
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Planet Pledge is organised by the Tidy Britain Group and Going for Green who are represented in Wales by the Keep Wales Tidy Campaign and encourages all of us to live in a more sustainable way. Individuals, families, schools and workplaces can all still make Pledges by promising to recycle waste, change the way they use cars or become involved in local environmental initiatives.
Cylch is a membership network that aims to promote sustainable waste management in Wales through education and practical action. The website includes a list of recycling services in Wales, a news section and a links page to a number of waste management sites. By creating a partnership between local authorities, community recycling organisations and other community agencies it hopes to foster and develop waste management practices within Wales. Cylch is also part of the UK Community Recycling Network.
Recycling Initiatives in your Area
A number of lcoal community groups, who are heavily involved in recycling, exist throughout the whole of Wales. They all provide valuable information about the process and importance of recycling, and many also offer educational opportunities and services for schools. They include:
Freecycle: a worldwide recycling movement that is run through the internet, providing an opportunity for people to advertise and pass on belongings that they would like to recycle. There are currently freecycle networks in Abergele, Newport, and Monmouth.
Other recycling initatives in Wales include:
- Recreate in Cardiff
- Garnsychan Partnership
- Monmouthshire Community Recycling, which also has a section for schools
- Newport Wastesavers
- Recycled Bottle Glass Centre is in Newport. Again, its website has a section specifically designed for schools
- Cwm Harry Land Trust near Newtown in Powys.
- Amgen provides waste management services to the people of Rhondda Cynon Taff. They have a education centre at the Bryn Pica site near Aberdare. The site is under construction.
- Torfaen Community Recycling
- Pembrokeshire Frame
- Waste Management Powys has a section for schools
Other Recycling Resources
This is a brief listing of other recycling resources contained within Wales on the Web, but do not necessarily include educational material.
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CITC (Computers in the Community) recycles the computers that businesses and local authorities in Wales no longer need, and redistributes them throughout the community, with the aim of improving access to information technology in all communities in Wales. Tools for Schools is a social initiative that aims to introduce a critical mass of computers into the education system to increase access to new technology. Computers are donated by businesses, upgraded, then passed on to the schools throughout Wales and the UK.
Waste Exchange is a free service that puts companies who produce waste materials in contact with companies who have the capability to use those materials, thereby providing an alternative to disposal of waste in landfills.
The Newsprint and Newspaper Industry Environmental Action Group promotes the recycling of daily newspapers. Over a million tons of newspapers and magazines are recycled each year, primarily creating more newspapers or materials for the packaging industry. Paper banks are located in many Welsh towns, but many local authorities are now also committed to kerbside collections. The website provides information regarding recycling newspapers, emphasises its importance and has a directory of recyling officers in the UK.
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The Sustainable Wales: Real Nappy Campaign promotes the use of re-usable nappies throughout Wales and provides impartial advice about choosing and using cotton nappies as a natuarl, easy to use and cost effective alternative to disposable nappies.
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RecycleWood is an interactive resource produced by WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) to help producers of wood waste find collection services and recycling facilities. The website includes a map of the UK's wood waste recycling services and facilities, and has a searchable database of recycling sites throughout Wales and the UK. It also provides general information about WRAP, the different products manufactured from wood waste, how to include details of your wood waste collection service or recycling facility on RecycleWood and links to other related sites.