Ealing schools raise awareness of the value of eWaste recycling
Celebrating International eWaste Day
Did you know that today is International eWaste day? Thanks to ten brilliant Ealing schools, entire communities around Ealing are now aware of the value of old electricals and how to recycle them!
The power of a school community
Ten Ealing schools joined the Ealing eWaste campaign. Schools put a call out to their pupils, staff and families to rescue the usused electronics lurking in Ealing’s attics, drawers and cupboards. Everyone has a drawer of old cables or phones kept “just in case”. There are also the old electronic gadgets that stopped working years ago but haven’t quite made it out of the door yet.
Thanks to schools encouraging their communities to rescue these gadgets, over 2 tonnes of eWaste was rescued and recycled. Valuable materials like copper, plastic, steel and lithium that were just gathering dust last week are now being processed into new products like batteries, planes and medical equipment.
The value of eWaste recycling
By making the most of the “stuff” already in the economy makes so much sense. It means less pollution from mining and processing to unnecessarily make new materials. It also means valuable materials ready for a new life are not just being burned or dumped in landfill. Finally, it’s keeping value in the UK economy, as Ealing’s schools’ unsused electronics were all collected and processed by a UK-based company. Finally…..dozens of homes and schools now have more space thanks to decluttering all those unused and broken electronic gadgets.
Pupil power
Teachers at Brentside High School praised the enthusiasm of pupils and families, noting the Ealing eWaste campaign not only decluttered homes but also raised awareness of the impact eWaste has on the planet. Year 13 pupil Mira Hachem, said the campaign had left a lasting impression: “The whole experience was informative and through it, I learnt even more about the importance of recycling e-waste as it protects our environment.”
Wood End Primary eWaste champion
Wood End Primary School claimed first place for collecting over 350kg of unused electronics. This fabulous effort saw kettles, screens, cables and batteries rescued to be made into new products. In the process, the school raised £180 to invest back into the school.
Schools are now being encouraged to begin a battery recycling campaign through Valpak. These recycling points will be a daily reminder of the value of recycling unused electronics. You can recycle your old electronics all year round at:
- Greenford Road Reuse and Recycling centre – Greenford Road, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 9AP
- Book your slot here
- find other collection points near you by visiting www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk
How much eWaste could you rescue?
Be inspired by Ealing’s schools and enjoy a quick e-tidy! How much eWaste could you rescue this International eWaste Day? Could you ask the school in your life to host a free battery recycling point?
Huge thanks to eWaste campaign schools
This campaign would not have been the success it was without the dedicated staff and motivated communities of:
- #BlairPeachPrimary
- #BrentsideHigh
- #CostonPrimary
- #HorsendenPrimary
- #NorthEalingPrimary
- #OaklandsPrimary
- #OurLadyOfTheVisitation
- #PerivalePrimary
- #VilliersHigh
- #WoodEndPrimary