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Christchurch Primary School Launches Council's Recycle for Africa Campaign

Published: 2nd July 2008 16:17

Pupils at Christchurch school in Lichfield are well known for their local green initiatives, but recently they 'thought global', and helped the District Council's recycling team to launch a new 'Recycle for Africa' campaign. Lichfield District's Recycle for Africa Campaign is part of a national initiative that the District Council has signed up to. The initiative promises to grow a fruit tree in Malawi for every tonne of aluminium drinks cans and foil that is recycled nationally over the next two years. It is estimated that the initiative will help to plant over 85,000 new trees in rural Malawi.

As part of the launch, pupils at Christchurch Primary School have

also been learning how recycling aluminium and planting trees

can make a difference to children in Malawi.

Christine Cole, Recycling Officer for Lichfield District Council, has been working with Christchurch Primary School. She said: "The children have been learning about why recycling aluminium is so important, and how by encouraging their families and friends to recycle even more of it, they can help families in Malawi to live better lives. They have learnt that by planting trees in Malawi, local people's lives will be changed for the better. Trees are so important to people in Malawi. By growing new high value trees, local communities are protected from deforestation, and local land remains fertile. It also means it is possible for communities to set up new businesses for fruit drying and juicing, as their local crops improve."

The initiative is run by the not-for-profit organisation Alupro, in partnership with the British charity Ripple Africa, in a bid to tackle deforestation and improve nutrition in Malawi.

Ruth Meeke, Programme Manager for Alupro, added: "Alupro is delighted Lichfield District Council is taking part in the "Recycle for Africa" campaign. Nearly 300 local authorities are taking part in the campaign up and down the country. 4,000 schools have received a schools education pack detailing the project, showing how we all can make a difference to people's lives in Malawi by just using kerbside recycling boxes to recycle aluminium cans and foil. We hope residents in Lichfield District will support the project. There are 2,000 packs available for schools in Lichfield and we still have hundreds of packs left so if any schools are interested they should get in touch with us."

 

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