Thrupp Primary School triumphs in recycled plastic challenge 

Thrupp Primary School embraced the challenge collecting 100kg of plastic film in only 56 days. Their prize was a Snakes and Ladders Activity Picnic Table for the playground made from the plastic they collected. The table is a nature friendly, sustainable and a renewable product made from Plaswood - a 100% recycled plastic.  

Emma Greenwood, Year 5/6 and Eco Subject Teacher at Thrupp Primary School, said: “I am very proud of all the hard work and effort that the Thrupp pupils have put into the Recycle with Riley campaign. It has not just been a school initiative but also involved parents and the local community all working together with a common aim.”

 Patrick Carroll, from RPC bpi recycled products in Stroud, added: “Our aim with Recycle with Riley was not only to engage the next generation but for them to be ambassadors to their parents and adults within their families, to push the importance of recycling through the Five Valley Community while reinforcing the importance of plastics in our world.”

The children’s collected plastic film was taken to RPC bpi recycled product’s factory in Dumfries, Scotland. At the site the plastic film was washed, shredded, and finally extruded into Plaswood lumber.  The recycled plastic lumber was then fabricated into the activity picnic table prize. 

Products made from Plaswood require no annual maintenance, painting or chemical treatment prior to installation or during its long-life time, it will not leach chemicals into the environment, rot or splinter - making it a sustainable, renewable and cost-effective alternative to traditional wooden, steel or concrete products.