Derbyshire pupils taught about recycling through theatre

Derbyshire County Council has commissioned the Gibber Theatre Company to bring The Waste Watchers to Derbyshire secondary schools.

Year 7 or 8 pupils in 35 secondary schools will see an exciting 50-minute interactive performance which uses humour, music, multimedia and popular culture to capture the importance of key environmental themes such as food waste and the benefits of putting unwanted items to good use.

Pupils will also take part in workshops where they will learn which materials can be recycled at home and asked to contribute ideas on practical steps that can be taken to prevent waste and reuse materials.

This is the fifth year the county council has brought the production to Derbyshire schools.

And for the first time the general public will be able to see the show with two performances being held at Chesterfield library on 5 March at 11am and 6pm.

Tickets are free and available by emailing [email protected] or calling 01629 539792.

Coun Joan Dixon, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs, Economy and Transport said: “The county council needs to cut its budget by £157m by 2018 and our current landfill bill is one we cannot afford in the future.

“Derbyshire residents currently recycle around 45% of their waste and by 2020 we want them to reach 55%.

“Projects like this are key to achieving this target by raising awareness and encouraging more waste reduction and recycling both in schools and in the home.”

The county council will be working with some participating schools to look at their current arrangements for recycling to see if they can be improved and to raise awareness about how to prevent waste in the first place

The theatre company is touring secondary schools until Friday 11th April.

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