The shops are currently full of single-use items for Halloween, aimed at children. The image above shows some on display at a local supermarket.
It’s horrifying – fossil fuels will have been used to make these items and most will be used just once and then discarded, most likely ending up in landfill or incinerated. Recycling options will be limited with these type of composite materials.
What tricks or treats could we as environmentalists use to tempt children and their parents away from this destructive consumerism? And/or do we press for more regulation to curtail the manufacture and retail of ‘junk’ plastics?
Locally, there’s an educational opportunity – the trick being to explain the impact of our choices on the environment. Chippenham Library stocks some excellent books on Zero Waste, aimed at younger readers and full of inspiration for Zero Waste challenges at home and at school.
Could Zero Waste be a topic within the school curriculum? It fits with STEM objectives – plenty of science and mathematics involved with understanding the cycle of production, consumption and disposal, setting metrics and measuring progress towards zero waste.
How about the treat of a trip to a café, but not just any café? On Saturday 28 October, The Pound Arts Centre in Corsham is hosting a Repair Café. Fixing a broken toy (or piece of clothing, or household or electrical item) is immensely satisfying and far less scary (in environmental and financial terms) than buying new stuff destined for landfill.
