Harpur Hill pupil wins recycling competition

Published on 10 January 2023

Harpur Hill pupil Emily Wentworth's recycling knowledge has netted her £50 worth of shopping vouchers after she won a competition for schools across the High Peak.

A local youth day event was held at the Pavilion Gardens last November during the international COP 27 climate summit where protecting the environment and managing our changing climate were on the agenda.

High Peak Borough Council and its waste collection partner Alliance Environmental Services (AES) also went along to talk about the importance of recycling and students were given workbooks to complete based on the topic.

The workbooks included a crossword competition offering the chance to win shopping vouchers - and ten-year-old Emily was the lucky winner.

She was presented with the vouchers at a school assembly by Jean Todd, Executive Councillor for Climate Change, Environment and Community Safety.

Councillor Todd, said: "It was lovely to meet Emily and her fellow pupils and to see their enthusiasm for caring for the environment and recycling.

"As our Climate Change Officer and I both attended the youth event during COP last year, we know that it was a well organised, educational and thoroughly enjoyable event. I'd like to thank everyone who came along, and who completed the competition in the workbook, and congratulate Emily on being named the winner.

"Taking better care of our environment is something that many of us, including our young people, are passionate about. Re-using items, reducing waste and recycling what we can is something all do - and we provide household recycling collection services across the High Peak so it's easy to do.

"Many of our residents are already recycling but the more of us that do it, the greater the environmental benefits, so I would urge people to make recycling a resolution as we start a new year."

The youth COP 27 event followed a series of recycling workshops at High Peak schools last year which were delivered from a classroom in a converted waste collection vehicle.

Due to the availability of the vehicle, the schools were selected at random based on applications received from interested schools but AES continues to offer workshops throughout the year to all schools.

And it's not just schools who can take up the offer of free workshops and talks - they are also available to community groups.

If you'd like to arrange a session, or just want more information, please email AES at engagement@allianceenvironmental.co.uk