CIRCULAR ECONOMY STARTS AT A YOUNG AGE
‘Collect casually instead of throwing away uncool’ – the educational project by EAK and MA48 at the Aspernallee all-day primary school in Vienna turns pupils into responsible environmental protection professionals.
From 10 to 12 May 2022, project days were held at the Aspernallee all-day primary school in Vienna on the topic of ‘Correct collection of old electrical appliances and used batteries’. This initiative was launched by Elektroaltgeräte Koordinierungsstelle Austria GmbH (EAK) in cooperation with MA48. Over the course of three days, 14 classes learnt about the correct collection and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and used batteries/rechargeable batteries in workshops and on excursions to a waste disposal site. Waste consultants from MA48 were on hand as workshop and excursion leaders. The EAK provided the school kit it had developed with valuable teaching materials on used electrical appliances and batteries. ‘With this school kit, pupils aged 8 to 18 are introduced to the topics of recycling, the scarcity of raw materials and the impact on the environment in a clear and fun way,’ says Elisabeth Giehser, pleased with the high level of acceptance of the school kit.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECT
‘With this environmental project, we want to make our pupils aware of the importance of properly collecting old appliances and batteries,’ said Johannes Mario Mazakarini, headmaster of the Aspernallee all-day primary school at the closing event of the school project days on 12 May 2022, which was also attended by Dr Roland Ferth from the Ministry of Climate Protection. ‘Our environmental policy goal is to further advance the waste and circular economy in the coming years,’ emphasised the representative of the Ministry of Climate Protection. He referred to the important role of children as ‘environmental ambassadors’, who pass on the specialist knowledge they have acquired about resource conservation and environmentally friendly behaviour to their families.
‘Climate protection and resource conservation go hand in hand. It is therefore very important to raise awareness of waste separation at school age. This project is a good example of how sustainable behaviour can be playfully integrated into everyday school life,’ emphasised Climate Councillor Jürgen Czernohorszky during the excursion to the Simmering waste disposal site.
DI Ingrid Pirgmayer, Head of Waste Advice and Call Centre at MA48, emphasises the correct disposal of electrical appliances: ‘Every electrical appliance contains recyclable materials that can be recycled, but also harmful substances that can cause great harm to people and the environment in residual waste. This makes it all the more important that old electrical appliances and old batteries and accumulators are handed in at the City of Vienna’s waste collection centres for proper and environmentally friendly disposal and recycling.’
SCHOOL COLLECTION WITH RECORD RESULT
A highlight of the project days was the collection competition organised especially for the school. Pupils as well as teachers and parents brought along their old small electrical appliances and old batteries/rechargeable batteries. The batteries and rechargeable batteries were placed in the prepared barrels in the school foyer and the small electrical appliances were handed in personally by the pupils as part of an excursion to the MA48 waste collection centre.
An impressive 530 pieces of old electrical appliances, weighing 145 kilograms, and 63 kg of batteries were collected as part of the school project. The three winning classes received cheques from Ms Giehser with a total value of over 500 euros for their class funds.
MORE SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL LESSONS
‘The project days were very exciting – we would like to see more school lessons like this on resource conservation and waste recycling,’ summarised one pupil. ‘We learnt that it’s really easy to consciously behave in a way that conserves resources and is therefore environmentally friendly. Now that I’ve learnt so much about it, I’m sure I’ll never again think of simply throwing a battery or a device, no matter how small – such as an electric toothbrush or a battery – into the rubbish bin.’
Everyone involved agreed that environmental education cannot start early enough.