Eco News November 2023
Southern Electrical Recycling - Eco project for November
In assembly on 2nd November, we were joined by Josh and Bobby from Southern Electrical Recycling with their electronic WEEE man to promote our Eco project for November to collect small, electrical devices which are no longer needed/don't work so that they can be recycled.
The children were excited to see the brightly coloured WEEE man (himself made out of recycled materials) who is now positioned by the school front door and has an information display screen explaining what the scheme is all about. You can find out more about SER on their website (https://southernelectricalrecycling.co.uk/
The WEEE man will remain in Bosmere for the next 2 weeks before he moves on to another school. There are 3 collection boxes next to him which will be collected by SER at the end of November (or whenever they are filled).
We are encouraging everyone to bring in any electrical devices which are unwanted/no longer work and put them in the collection boxes.
What do SER want us to collect?
- mobile phones
- hair dryers or straighteners
- tablets
- irons
- vapes
Basically anything small enough to go in the box, which uses electrical power in the form of a battery or via a plug socket.
NB Please leave any batteries inside the device. We do not want to collect loose batteries (because of the risk of sparking if terminals contact one another; the safest place for the battery is to remain inside the device.)
What does SER do with the collected devices?
Each device will be dismantled then crushed by SER and its component parts will be recycled. These include gold, copper, plastics, glass, and various precious metals. (The children were amazed to see a lump of 24 carat gold when it was passed round in assembly - it had been extracted from a collection of electronic circuit boards.)
What this will achieve:
- Reduces landfill
- Accesses useful materials which can be extracted from the device and then recycled
- Reduces our need to acquire materials which are sourced from across the world, so reducing the carbon footprint of these imports
What about devices which may carry confidential data?
SER uses processes which adhere to strict security measures to ensure any data-bearing devices are dealt with appropriately, giving us peace of mind knowing our data is safe. So email addresses, passwords, etc. will not be accessible and will be destroyed. SER explained these processes to the children in assembly as: "the device is put in a huge microwave which electronically destroys all the data, then the device is crushed and melted down to extract all the material to be recycled."
What about devices which are unwanted but still work?
SER will accept any electrical device and, if it still works, they will donate it to charity. Please put a note on any devices which are still working so SER can donate rather than recycle them.
We are looking forward to seeing the blue boxes filling up!
Willow and Tissue Paper Lanterns
Eco Club have been invited by The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre to take part in a festive lantern parade in Havant on 30th November. First we need to make our lanterns! On 6th Nov, Eco Club created the basic willow structure of nine lanterns, using willow withies pruned from the Bosmere Willow Dome. The cut lengths of willow were held together using masking tape. Click here for more photos.
The following week, we then carefully wound a string of fairy lights around the willow structure, the battery pack being secured on the willow base with masking tape. Click here for more photos.
In Week 3, Eco Club stuck white tissue paper to the willow frame as a background cover. Next week we will finish with festive decorations in coloured tissue paper. Click here for more photos.
The children finished their lanterns with individually-cut-out coloured tissue paper shapes which created nine unique lanterns, all ready for the Lantern Parade! Click here for more photos.
On 30th November, Eco Club paraded with their handmade willow and tissue paper lanterns along East Street from The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre to St Faith's Church for the official turning on of the church Christmas tree lights by Havant's Mayor. Rev Tom Kennar kept us all amused with carols and his 'pantomime act' with the mayor! Click here for more photos.
Green Blue Peter Badge success!
Alfie shared his Green Blue Peter badge which he was awarded for his environmentally friendly activities at home. He wrote about the sort of things he does to support endangered animals. Well done, Alfie! Mrs Dunn awarded him a Head Teacher's Award too.