This task will often be formed around projects and work created or data gathered by wonderful Environmental Organisations and NGOs such as the WWF, IUCN and Practical Action. Teachers can use the material to develop interdisciplinary projects within their schools.
Plastic is all around us and it is, undeniably, incredibly useful. However, it is also toxic and it takes millennia to breakdown. It gets into our waterways, onto our dinner plates, harms and kills mammals, birds and marine life by trapping them or resulting in starvation; fishing nets are made of it, bottles and bags, even the skin cream we use contain micro-plastics (so small we can’t even see them). Our mindless use and disposal of plastic has to stop and we can stop it, if we just change our habits. We know what to do so let’s do it!
In September’s tasks, we will explore ‘The Power of Plastic’:
We will learn about plastic in the UK and in Nepal. We will think about how plastic breaks down compared to other materials and why it takes so long; we will learn about plastic on the streets of Kathmandu and how people there can make money from it. Your task will be to design a product that could be made by women in Kathmandu with locally found waste plastic.