NLWA | New educational programme to reduce waste in schools

Students in north London recently participated in a hands-on educational program called "In the Know", launched by the North London Waste Authority (NLWA). Nearly 2 500 students from seven schools kicked off the initiative, which focuses on teaching them about the environmental impacts of waste and how to minimise waste in their schools. The first session involved conducting a waste audit to track what goes into school bins, providing a benchmark to measure the program's effectiveness over the following eight months.

The waste audits revealed that food waste accounted for about 40% of the waste in the bins, while paper waste and plastic wrappers made up a third of the total. Developed after research highlighted the need for better waste education in primary schools, the In the Know program aims to fill this gap by equipping students and staff with the knowledge and tools to reduce waste and promote recycling.