How the Project Works

The Happy Bin project is designed for Key Stage 2 pupils in UK Primary schools. It uses the existing school curriculum in a creative and artistic way to promote understanding of several issues related to Education for Sustainable Development.
These issues include:

• What is waste? Some is obvious, it can be seen in either the classroom rubbish basket or in the waste food bin in the school canteen. However other waste escapes into the environment as the result of things we do. E.g. carbon dioxide and methane pollution.
• What are the problems caused by our waste? E.g. landfill sites are filling up, incinerators are not popular, greenhouse gases may be changing the environment on which humans and other creatures depend etc.
• How can we work together to reduce the amount of waste that we and others produce?

The Puppet Show

The project begins with a professional puppetry show, developed by Vagabondi Puppets, to motivate pupils.
The puppets introduce children to the problems of disposing waste in landfill. The show reminds children of the possibilities of reuse and recycling but more importantly develops the theme further.
It shows children the potential for reducing and refusing waste with collective positive community action.

Classroom activities and monitoring waste on the web

Following the initial puppet show, for six weeks, as part of their science, literacy, maths, IT and creative arts curriculum, the children work through a series of twelve activities, professionally prepared for the project.

Six of the activities can be presented to the whole school in an "assembly." The others are designed to be differentiated and used in the classroom.

These activities:

• Provide a consistent message that helps waste minimisation become ingrained into the way a school functions;
• Help children to understand some of the environmental problems caused by the different kinds of waste we produce;
• Encourage pupils to explore ideas on how to reduce and refuse waste.

In addition, each week the children collect and weigh the waste produced at their school and enter the results on this website.
Both the total amount of waste produced by each school and the amount per pupil on roll are displayed on this site.
To provide both a bench mark and target for the pupils the graph on the school page contains an additional column.

Worst Bin Ever

In previous projects the most wasteful schools were initially disposing more than 800 grams of waste per pupil into landfill every week. In contrast these schools were recycling only a small amount...Less than 20 grams per pupil each week.
In the early weeks of this project this additional column gives pupils a clear idea of how wasteful their school is in comparison.

How are school progressing?

To see how schools progressed please click on:

• The school's name to see how it performed;
• The weekly progress to see how each school compares with others.

The Forum

 We know from experience that the incentive of publishing a school's weekly weight of waste encourages many pupils to reduce their contribution to landfill!
To develop 'citizenship skills' the children also share their 'good waste minimisation ideas' and their 'waste minimisation problems' with other pupils in the participating schools through the secure forum on this website.
If you can contribute to the forum please contact Ian Mitchell.

Training was provided for teachers 

The Happy Bin project has been designed by practicing teachers with knowledge of what can be practically achieved in a classroom.
Training has been given to school staff about the workings of the project at the following venues:

• Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth:
• Cambridge Environmental Education Centre at Stibbington.

If you are interested in developing the project in either your school or in your area please contact Ian Mitchell.