Recycling Detectives classroom activity

Teachers in Surrey can download the Recycling Detectives classroom activity and teachers guidance below for free. The activity is designed to be a fun way for pupils to learn about recycling. Whilst being pupil-led and monitorable, it will help your school work towards Green Flag accreditation. It has been developed so that it is adaptable to use with different age primary school classes or eco groups.

About the Recycling Detectives activity

Pupils will take on the role of a ‘recycling detective’, going home to search out items that can be recycled and making sure they are put in the right bin.

The activity sheet will help guide them through what they need to do (with varying degrees of support from adults at home given their age). The sheet has lists of what can and can’t be recycled on the back to help.

The recycling detectives need to find items and decide which bin they should go in to make sure the right items are being recycled. Younger pupils can simply tick when they’ve found an item. Older pupils could count a tally of the number of items recycled that week too.

Back at school, pupils can return their sheets to their teachers or group coordinator who can then lead a session to see what the pupils found and in what quantities.

To monitor the success of the activity, teachers or group coordinators can either report on how many pupils took part and/or on how many items they found.

Download the Recycling Detectives classroom activity now.