A lively background noise recently echoed through the headquarters of the Lippe Plant in Lünen, Germany. Where there is usually concentrated work on the further development of the circular economy, this morning euphoric children’s voices, shouts of “Let’s go” and repeated applause could be heard. Children’s Climate Day was on the timetable and the invited third and fourth graders from the primary schools in Nordkirchen took the opportunity to learn from real experts: Why do we need different bins? Why is waste separation so important for our planet? And what actually happens behind the scenes at the Lippe Plant?
This was the third time that the Children’s Climate Day organised by REMONDIS had taken place in Lünen. Guided by the RECYCLING PROFESSIONALS, the children learnt how everyone can make an active contribution to conserving resources and protecting the climate. To this end, the organisers had set up a number of stations that took place both indoors and outdoors. The largest centre for industrial recycling in Europe, as the Lippe Plant can call itself with an area of around 230 hectares, was an ideal location to introduce the children to the entire spectrum of the circular economy. As part of a “scavenger hunt”, they travelled around the site by bus. Among other things, they learnt about the plant’s own fire brigade, the composting plant and the gypsum warehouse. The waste electrical and electronic equipment, which was piled up in large quantities in front of the children’s eyes, was also particularly fascinating.
These are the RECYCLING PROFESSIONALS
Learning and rethinking cannot start early enough. This is why REMONDIS has developed its educational project, RECYCLING PROFESSIONALS, especially for kindergartens and schools. The objective of the project is to make the youngsters more aware of the importance of protecting our environment and show them how they can act responsibly. The aim is to convey the message that waste is not actually waste, but recyclable materials produced from valuable raw materials. And that everyone can help at home with correct waste separation to return these recyclable materials to the cycle and make them usable again.
Further information [in German]: www.wertstoffprofis.de
From station to station: Lippe Plant discovery tour, recycling rally and road safety
Back from the Lippe Plant tour, other stations awaited, where the children were very ambitious, for example a recycling rally or creative tasks.
The focus was also on road safety: a collection vehicle was used to uncover various sources of danger. The children were able to sit in the driver’s seat individually and see with their own eyes how limited visibility is, and that blind angles are a serious danger. When the entire school class “disappeared” in the blind angle, it always caused astonishment. This makes it all the more important that all road users act considerate and are constantly aware of potential dangers.
“The Children’s Climate Days are a great experience – and not just for the children,” explained Nelson Michalski, who coordinates the tours of the Lippe Plant at REMONDIS. “The enthusiasm and curiosity with which they engage with our topics is really great to see. It confirms how important it is to start with the youngest ones and teach them about waste separation and recycling.”
The children and their supervisors travelled back to their schools with a “treasure” (a filled RECYCLING PROFESSIONALS gym bag) on their backs, a big grin on their faces and their newly acquired knowledge. We would like to thank them for taking part and look forward to opening our doors to the motivated youngsters again soon!
Image credits: © REMONDIS
