Thankfully there is a big drive on how we look after our planet and there are many initiatives being developed and implemented in schools across the UK and globally. Recycling in schools’ campaigns are raising positive awareness and teaching our future generation how to make small lifestyle changes that have a huge impact we if all pull together and do them.
Teach recycling in schools
However, as with all negative situations, someone gets the blame and with our environment it has to be us oldies! Teens and Millennials love to preach to the older generation about how we have messed up our planet, but then I got thinking about growing up through the 60’s and 70’s so I thought I’d take you on an environmentally friendly trip down memory lane!
- Not a plastic bottle in sight; everything was glass and was always recycled.
- Bottles of fizzy pop were taken back to the shop and the shopkeeper paid you for the return!
- There were very few plastic bags; all the fruit and veg bought from the market was put brown paper bags.
- Money was raised for school by organising a jumble sale and we donated our unwanted clothing; clothing banks were yet to take off.
- Sweets were bought in quantities of your choosing and served in small white paper bags.
- Mums across the nation used shopping trolleys to transport heavy stuff.
- Hot ‘takeaway’ food was wrapped in newspaper; no gimmicky plastic toys or polystyrene food boxes to litter the streets with.
- From the age of 5 we all walked to school or got the bus; no gas guzzling Range Rover journeys for one kid!
- Nobody holidayed abroad; UK seaside and caravan holidays for us.
- Milk was delivered to your door at dawn in glass bottles and you’d leave the empties out for him to take away again. And the coolest thing is he drove an electric milk float!
So, if you are planning a recycling in schools’ campaign, why not include the life of a child in the 60’s and 70’s in your lesson plan? It is certainly food for thought…wrapped in newspaper, of course.