As part of our current science project ‘materials’ Year 2 enjoyed an entertaining and educational afternoon with Kirsten from Dorset Council Recycling Team. Kirsten told us all about how to be more sustainable by reducing, reusing and recycling our waste. We learned that 5 plastic bottles can be recycled into a warm hat or 25 bottles can make a fleece jumper. We saw pencil cases made from juice cartons and sweet wrappers and mats made from wellie boots! We learned that it is even better to reuse things by passing them on to others and we can reduce waste by avoiding disposables such as single use plastic bags and bottles. We learned what can be recycled, what can go in the food waste bin and what could be composted to make compost to grow bigger fruit and vegetables. We thought about how long it takes different materials to break down in the ground. We were really surprised to learn that disposable nappies contain plastic and will take over 500 years to break down and glass probably won’t break down for nearly 1,000,000 years! We also took part in a quiz and a recycling relay. It was a great afternoon.