Recycling Hero Challenge: Training material for primary schools on environmentally aware lifestyle

Recycling, selective waste collection, food waste reduction – these are just a few of the themes covered in the new interactive education package developed in partnership by Nestlé Hungary and SPAR Magyarország Kereskedelmi Kft. for primary school pupils. The first hundred classes to enter the Recycling Hero Challenge receive a useful education kit to enhance their knowledge of sustainability and selective waste collection. Participating classes are called to submit their reports in a competition for a valuable prize.

About 140 kg packaging waste per capita is produced in Hungary every year with only 45% of that is recycled according to Eurostat data*. The problem is complex: in order to improve recycling rates, we need recyclable packaging materials, an adequate market infrastructure with selective collection, selection and processing systems, and public awareness.

Nestlé, as the largest food company in the world has an enormous responsibility. The company permanently strives to improve its packaging materials to make them recyclable or reusable by 2025. To achieve this goal, it is critical to have the appropriate selective waste collection, selection and recycling systems to be in place, and to engage consumers in appropriate selective collection to increase the amount of recycled packaging waste.

Recognising the importance of consumer education, two years ago Nestlé Hungary issued a Recycling Guide in partnership with HUMUSZ Association. The goal was to share some practical advice on selective waste collection. Demonstrating the need for the campaign, last year SPAR Magyarország Kereskedelmi Kft. also joined the initiative, resulting in joint publication called ‘How to be an environmentally conscious consumer?,  focusing on sustainable living and environmentally conscious buying.

The launch of the school challenge this year takes the initiative to the next level, because the campaign now focuses on the environmental awareness-raising of young children. The education programme Recycling Hero Challenge starting in September is developed for primary school children with the unhidden agenda to introduce the basics of selective waste collection to children in a fun way. As the first step of the challenge, the first hundred classes to register receive a Nestlé Recycling Hero Box of posters, selective collection containers and other useful tools to promote the efficient delivery of the message and fulfil the associated challenge. The professional partner of the education campaign is FKF Nonprofit Zrt., the waste management company. Classes that make it to the finals of the challenge can visit the FKF Educational and Reuse Centre in the 15th district of Budapest for complex sustainability programmes.

Nestlé encourages classes to put the knowledge they acquire into practice and enter the one week awareness-raising challenge: collect waste selectively, minimise discarded food and report on their experience.

The winner class selected by professional jury wins a class trip worth HUF 300,000.

Click here to read about the campaign details.

*Eurostat 2018

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