Students from Hillcroft Primary School and Oakhyrst Grange School, both in Caterham, visited the Council Offices last week to take part in special interactive workshops on recycling.

The recently launched 'Are You Recycling Right?' Campaign aims to make sure every resident is up to date with what can be recycled. This follows a recent increase in recycling being collected which contains items which can’t be recycled. A leaflet has been delivered to every house in the district and there is also a new search tool at www.recycleforsurrey.org.uk and a Recycle for Surrey app.

Hillcroft Primary’s School Council’s focus for the year is on the environment, so the workshop was a perfect fit. Pupils from each year group were chosen to attend a morning event, along with the current head boy and head girl. Oakhyrst Grange School selected two children from each year group to join an afternoon session.

On arrival the children were met by Recycling Officers, Rob Luck and Claire Cooney and after a short tour and introductory session where they learned what can be recycled, their knowledge was put to the test.

The children were each given bins full of recycling to process using a mini Material Recycling Facility (MRF). They took it in turns to try out all the different operational roles, from tipping the recycling into the hopper, turning handles to move the recycling along a conveyor belt and hand sorting the materials into the different streams – paper and card, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays and glass bottles and jars. In addition they used giant hand held magnets to pick up metal tins and cans.

They also took out items which are commonly put into the blue lidded bins which can’t be recycled such as food waste which should go in the green food caddy and clothing which should go in a plastic carrier bag next to the recycling bin on collection day.

Paul Barton, Chief Community Services Officer, said: “The Council is fully committed to encouraging residents to recycle and it provides support in many ways, including special interactive workshops for local schools. There are no better advocates than children when it comes to recycling and the importance of protecting our environment.”

To find out more about what you can recycle in Tandridge visit www.tandridge.gov.uk/RefuseandRecycling.