Schools across Northern Ireland have been challenged to think about ways they can reduce, reuse and recycle all the paper and plastic they are using by participating in a "Rethink Waste" initiative facilitated by TIDY Northern Ireland's Eco-Schools and Bryson Charitable Group.

This WRAP funded project aims to raise young people's awareness about the impact of paper and plastic waste on the environment, to engage their families in reducing consumption and to help participating Eco-Schools to achieve the prestigious international Green Flag status.

Twenty one schools will be asking their pupils to stop unwanted junk mail coming to their homes and providing them with reusable water bottles. The schools will also avail of workshops bursting with ideas and activities for the children to implement both in school and at home.

Speaking at the launch of the project at Botanic Primary School, TIDY NI's Chief Executive Dr Ian Humphreys said: "Through this very exciting partnership we aim to instill a more sustainable outlook amongst pupils, parents and teachers towards use of paper and plastic. We look forward to seeing some exciting results in terms of what reductions in plastic and paper consumption can be achieved, reducing dependence on our already overburdened land fill sites.

As operators of the Eco-Schools programme TIDY NI has excellent relationships with schools throughout Northern Ireland and we are delighted to be able to engage with the schools in improving their resource efficiency. This new partnership enables local schools to also focus on serious environmental issues facing young people and to help to build a more sustainable future for Northern Ireland.".

John McMullan, Chief Executive of Bryson Charitable Group, said "Bryson Charitable Group is delighted to be here today along with our partners to launch this innovative Rethink Waste Education Project. Bryson has a long experience of working with school children on a range of education projects across Northern Ireland and views this initiative as a logical progression to the work that we have been doing on the subject of sustainable energy and waste over many years.

This new project aims to educate the youngest members of the family, who have a great influence at home, on what they and their families can do to reduce waste. It will involve activities in school with homework involving the rest of the family. Delivering the programme in a fun and interactive way will help to reinforce the very important message of reducing our waste and we at Bryson are dedicated to achieving this goal".

Environment Minister Edwin Poots, whose department has provided funding towards the initiative said: "This project is an excellent example of partnership working and I commend TIDY Northern Ireland's Eco-Schools' and Bryson Charitable Group for it. The practical workshops combined with the project to stop unwanted mail will really inspire the schools involved to Rethink Waste. I look forward to finding out how much waste the schools manage to prevent going to landfill.

"I wish to congratulate TIDY Northern Ireland's Eco-Schools, Bryson Charitable Group and the six other recipients of this Rethink Waste Fund revenue programme and wish them every success in their efforts to improve resource efficiency, divert waste from landfill and help meet EU targets."

Principal Mr Paul Bell, Botanic PS, said the Rethink Waste project offers his school another creative and engaging topic for study to meet the Eco-Schools award criteria:

"We have received the Eco-Schools silver award and are now working hard to achieve the prestigious Green Flag. When we first heard about the Rethink Waste initiative we felt it would be an interesting way to introduce the topic of waste into the classroom. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle plays an important role in building greener and cleaner communities and we need to deliver this message to people from a young age. I am pleased that the Rethink Waste initiative is supporting Eco-Schools and the new educational resources will certainly get children thinking about the importance of thinking differently to help look after the environment."