Eco council visit to Veolia recycling facility.

Wow what a fantastic trip we had to the Veolia Recycling Facility in Southwark, London. Chloe, our guide, took us on a tour of the plant where they filter and sort through the recycling to maximise the amount of materials recycled. We learnt so much, including never putting plastic bags into the mixed recycling as they get caught up inside the sorters and how black plastic is hardest to recycle, as the machines find it hard to find against the black conveyor belt. The smell was not pleasant! The children found a new-found respect for our waste collectors and greater understanding of quite how much effort goes into the process of recycling. 
The children asked excellent questions and listened very well to our informative tour. 
“They even use AI and a robot called Bob to sort the recycling” Lilly
Eco Council made great links to what they have already been taught, including the impact of human waste across the world. 
“There is an island of rubbish in the Pacific. It makes me feel sad as the creatures are eating it, and it’s really upsetting” Emily
The children enjoyed the Discovery Centre and worked as a team to experience operating their own sorting machine. Who thought it could be so much fun?