Cheshire schoolchildren take recycling tips from rapping robot

Oct 20 2011 by Carmella de Lucia, Chester Chronicle

A RAPPING robot who teaches schoolchildren how to go green has visited primary schools in West Cheshire.

Recycler the Robot has toured schools across the country with his show that teaches youngsters how to help the environment by reducing, recycling and reusing.

Recycler made a big impression on the various schools he visited in the area, which included schools in Mickle Trafford, Frodsham, Neston and Handbridge.

He started off each show with his special rap about recycling and then, helped by Shirley Barre, an education officer from Waste Watch, a national initiative that encourages recycling, Recycler went through the ways youngsters can make a difference to the planet.

To reduce their waste, they were advised to buy larger boxes of cereal instead of the smaller ones that come in multi-packs, which avoids excess packaging.

They were also encouraged to advise their parents to take their own plastic bags to the supermarket when going shopping.

By reusing waste, millions of pounds worth of waste can potentially be saved from being thrown into landfill sites every year.

The children learned ways they can reuse their rubbish, such as making extra meals from large dinners and avoiding special offers for extra produce in supermarkets.

And for recycling, the robot encouraged the youngsters to understand what each different coloured bin means.

They learned that green bins are mainly used for garden waste, blue for unbroken glass bottles and brown for non-recyclable household waste.

Afterwards, Shirley and Recycler tested the children’s knowledge with a quiz where correct answers earned prizes of pencils made from old CD cases.

Recycler ended the show with another rap performance, and this time the children joined with action movements.

Shirley, who performs a number of shows a week with Recycler, said they were ‘a great way for the children to remember important messages’.

“They love the shows. It’s the robot that makes it work, the kids love him,” she said. “I’ve been doing this for years and it’s a brilliant way for them to learn so much.”

The Recycler programme is a joint partnership between Waste Watch and Cheshire West and Chester Council.