Children keen to learn about recycling process

The Council and recycling collection contractors Onyx responded by creating a free school visit programme. It is available to all schools, even pre-schools.

A big draw for the students is the visit from a refuse truck to the school. Students are invited to bring recyclable items to school, go onto the truck and sort the items into the correct compartments - just as the sorter on a collection run would do.

The Onyx fleet was custom-made for the recycling needs of Christchurch. The trucks are a mobile sorting factory with material from crates being emptied onto a tray in the truck. A sorter then ensures the items are placed in the appropriate compartments so that by the time the truck arrives at the Recovered Materials Foundation, the compartments can be individually emptied into the appropriate material bay.

At the school an Onyx staff member highlights points of interest about the truck and explains the recycling process. Background information packs are available from Christchurch City Council prior to the visit, which usually takes about half an hour.

Onyx has visited 15 schools and would be pleased to arrange visits to others where pupils would benefit from seeing a truck first-hand and learning more about recycling.

For more details or to arrange a visit, contact: Julie Eyles, Christchurch City Council, on 941 8358 or Grant Taylor, Onyx, on 374 3336.