The rubbish they teach in schools

Students across north London got their hands dirty with a very different kind of lesson this month. 

Almost 2,500 students were the first to take part in the brand new In the Know initiative, an educational programme run by the North London Waste Authority (NLWA). Seven schools have been selected to kick off the programme in 2024-25, with students getting the chance to learn about the environmental impacts of waste and how they can reduce the rubbish they throw away at school.  

For the first session, NLWA staff helped teachers and students conduct a ‘waste audit’, essentially a stocktake of what goes into their school bins every day. This will help provide a benchmark so that at the end of eight months of lessons and waste-related activities, the schools can see the real impact the programme has had in helping them to reduce their waste. It was a mucky job, but helped the students understand a key principle: our waste doesn’t just disappear when it’s thrown away! 

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NLWA Chair Cllr Clyde Loakes MBE was excited for the impact the programme could have, saying that: “Reducing our waste is an important part of looking after the environment, but that link isn’t always well understood. Our students want to protect the planet for the future, and we’re helping them do that by equipping them with the tools and knowledge they need to waste less and recycle more.” 

By conducting the waste audit, the schools now have a good idea of how they can tackle the most common types of rubbish. So far, audits at the seven participating schools have shown that food waste is the biggest villain, making up around 40% of the waste in most school’s bins. The expected culprits in schools, like paper waste and plastic food wrappers, on average made up one third of all items found. These insights will help inform bespoke recommendations to the schools on how to minimise their waste.  

In the Know was developed by NLWA following research conducted in collaboration with Keep Britain Tidy. The research found there was an educational gap in primary schools when it came to teaching about the environmental impacts of waste. The research suggested that filling that gap could positively change pupil, teacher and staff attitudes and have a wider ripple effect in families and communities. In the Know is just one of many new educational programmes NLWA is debuting for primary and secondary students alike. In early 2025 the state-of-the-art community centre EcoPark House, part of the Edmonton EcoPark development, will be hosting classes of school students so they can get tailored lessons about waste and the environment. 

The seven schools taking part in In the Know across north London will get lessons with NLWA’s education officer and access to a range of free, tailor-made educational resources. In addition to in-school learning, the programme also offers help with improving waste infrastructure in schools and advice on how to embed waste reduction behaviours in the school environment. 

With a whole schoolyear of waste learning still ahead, everybody’s excited to see the programme go from strength to strength. Councillor Loakes said: “If these first sessions are anything to go by, In the Know is going to be big hit in north London’s schools. I look forward to seeing the programme get bigger and better in the years to come!”