Local school children join International Recycling Project
Primary school children in Harlow have been taking part in an
international recycling project, which helps provide clothing for
people in poverty-stricken countries around the world. The Shoe
Friends and Clothes Collectors projects are run by LMB, a firm that
has been recycling clothes and other materials since the mid 1980s.
LMB has been running Shoe Friends in nine Harlow primary schools
since Easter 2007, supplying them with recycling bins and running
workshops to teach the children about re-using and where their
unwanted garments end up. The school children are encouraged to
help run the projects themselves, and the workshops inspire them to
think creatively about re-using and recycling all kinds of
materials.
The project has been a huge success so far and Harlow Council
and LMB are looking to expand the scheme, by calling on secondary
school pupils in the town to get involved. LMB offers all
participating schools a fun free introductory assembly as well as
follow-up workshops and information packs, to help children get the
most out of the scheme.
It is estimated that up to two million pairs of re-usable shoes
and trainers are sent to landfill every week, along with 1 million
tonnes of clothing. LMB say that they can re-use 80% of this
unwanted material, with most of the rest being recycled for other
uses. For more information visit www.lmb.co.uk.
Councillor Eleanor Macy says:
"This is an excellent initiative that involves children in
recycling and re-using from an early age, introducing them to
practices which hopefully they will take forward into their
adulthood. The scheme offers an interesting and creative approach
to reducing waste and gives children a truly international
perspective on the issue. Harlow Council is working with LMB and
would like to encourage local secondary schools to consider
participating in the scheme."
LMB will be running a workshop at Harlowbury Primary School on
28th November from 11 am - 12 noon, you are invited to send a
photographer.
Ends