Plastic pollution is one of the scariest realities we have to live with. With less of 10% of plastic being recycled around the globe, we are literally drowning in plastic. It negatively impacts our environment and all the living species in it. Which is why our project is focusing on teaching students about plastic waste and how to reduce it to protect the environment and ultimately bringing about a much-needed change. It all starts from education and we believe outside the classroom learning to be a truly effective way to grasp that knowledge and internalise it. And we've got the studies and experience to prove it!
This spring, Learning Scoop, our partner in Finland, a country renowned around the globe for the quality of its education, has cooperated with the Atala School in Tampere to organise activities with its students (9 to 11 year olds) that would facilitate learning about plastic. More specifically, the main objective of the lab was to investigate plastic waste in students' nearby environment. To make the concepts even easier to grasp, students were asked to collect plastic waste items from their homes and neighbourhoods and bring them to school to be examined.
And what better way to learn than through actual practice? Students not only gained a better understanding of the way plastic is putting our planet's health at risk, but they explored the various ways in which plastic can be recycled. They got to channel their creativity, brainstorm and design new items from used plastic, and what a joy to see the final results: innovative tools to collect garbage outside! We're sure these students will go places - and will do so by being actively involved citizens who make responsible choices, empower their communities and raise awareness of environmental dangers. Well done, Atala School!
