Exeter schools bring wheelie bins to life

Devon’s largest event, Devon County Show, has teamed up with recycling specialists, Coastal Recycling to promote the value of recycling in the food and farming industry to primary schools around Exeter.

Proving that recycling is far from rubbish, over 200 pupils from Lady Seaward Primary School, Clyst St Mary Primary School, Ladysmith Federation Juniors and St Martins Primary School were set the challenge of designing a wheelie bin made out of recycled materials. The eight winning designs will be brought to life and be placed on the ‘Wheelie Wild Trail’ across the showground. Devon County Show.

Entries will be judged by Devon County Show’s Honorary Show Director, David Parish, Coastal Recycling’s Managing Director, Steve Hadley, and Toucan Design co-founder, Josh Beadon.

Harry Wild, Communications Executive for Coastal Recycling, engaged the children in a discussion about how to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. ‘This was a great opportunity to convey the important message of recycling through a fun task, which the kids really embraced. At Coastal Recycling, we manage to recycle 96% of all the waste we collect, which just goes to show how little we need to send to landfill if we manage our resources carefully.’

The pupils were excited to hear all about Devon County Show’s activities, from milking dairy cows to watching a sheepdog herd ducks.

Education and Office Coordinator, Emma Watson, talked about specific features for children to the pupils: "We want to give children an appreciation of our food production and rural issues that are prevalent in Devon. They now understand that recycling is an important part of the food cycle and without it we would be knee deep in rubbish."

Pigs, honey bees and angora goats are among some of designs that will be brought to life by Coastal Recycling’s artist in residence, Stacey Adamson.

he winning designs will be on show at Devon County Show from the 19th – 21st May. The runner-up designs will be available to view at the Coastal Recycling stand in the Children’s Farm zone. For more information about the show, please visit www.devoncountyshow.co.uk