For me, Zero Waste Week is a great reminder that reducing waste should not just be something we focus on for one week of the year. The real opportunity is to create a culture where waste prevention, reuse and resourcefulness become part of everyday school life.

Many pupils are already familiar with the 3 Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. These are ideas they may have heard about at home or in school for years. However, when I ask pupils if they have heard of the term circular economy, the answer is often no.

That is what makes these conversations so interesting. The principles are not necessarily new to pupils; it is the bigger picture that can be unfamiliar. We explore how reducing and reusing resources fits into a wider circular economy, where materials are kept in use for as long as possible rather than following a traditional “take, make and throw away” model.

I also think it is important that pupils understand that the circular economy is not just about recycling or protecting the environment. It can have a real impact on our local communities and economy too. Choosing to repair, reuse, share and buy products that last can help keep resources and money within our communities, support local businesses and create opportunities around reuse and repair.

The waste hierarchy is another useful way of helping pupils think about their choices. Rather than seeing recycling as the answer to everything, we can start to ask: Can we avoid creating the waste in the first place? Can we reuse something? Can it be repaired? And only then, can it be recycled?

For me, the most important part is making these ideas relevant to pupils’ everyday lives. When we talk about a school bag, a pair of trainers, a phone, a lunch box or even something as simple as a piece of paper, pupils can start to see how the choices they make every day fit into the bigger picture.

Through the Circular Schools programme, my aim is not just to teach pupils what the circular economy means, but to encourage them to think differently about the things they use. If we can get young people to pause before throwing something away and ask, “Could this be reused, repaired or given a new purpose?”, then we are already beginning to create a culture of reuse and waste prevention.

And that is where I think education has such an important role to play. The earlier we help young people understand the value of resources, the more likely they are to carry those habits into their homes, communities and future lives.

School Spotlight: St Aidan’s High School, Derrylin

St Aidan’s High School in Derrylin is a fantastic example of how a culture of reuse can become part of everyday school life. Through their horticulture and sustainability projects, pupils in Years 8, 9 and 10, alongside the Year 11 Horticulture class, have been finding imaginative ways to reuse and repurpose materials around the school.

One of the school’s most eye-catching projects is a Christmas tree made from repurposed green glass bottles. The bottles were sourced through the school’s community connections and attached by hand to a specially made frame, with an energy-efficient LED light placed underneath to create a striking display. What could have been discarded glass has instead been transformed into something creative that can be enjoyed year after year.

The school has also found a new use for old Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) tanks, transforming two of them into large outdoor lights. After being cleaned, a small opening was made in each tank and a colour-changing LED was added, creating eye-catching outdoor features from materials that were no longer needed for their original purpose.

Another great example of thinking differently about waste can be found in the school’s polytunnel. An old conveyor belt has been reused as a sturdy, waterproof pathway. Rather than purchasing new materials, the school found a practical new use for something that might otherwise have been discarded.

These projects are not just about the finished products. Pupils are actively involved in developing and creating them, gaining practical experience while learning about reuse, resourcefulness and the circular economy. Through their horticulture work, pupils have also found creative ways to reuse materials, from making planters and raised beds to creating bug hotels and vertical growing walls.

Reuse Bringing the Community Together

One of the most inspiring aspects of St Aidan’s approach is the strong connection between the school and its wider community. The school works with local businesses, community groups, parents and volunteers to source unwanted materials and find new uses for them.

A particularly creative example is the school’s Crochet Village, which was created by pupils and members of the Derrylin Crochet Group using waste cardboard boxes and leftover wool. The finished village was exhibited in Derrylin and later at the Castle Museum in Enniskillen, showing how reused materials can become something that brings people together and celebrates local creativity.

The school community extends far beyond the classroom, with 67 staff members, 370 pupils, parents, local businesses, community groups and the wider Derrylin community all contributing to its sustainability efforts.

What makes St Aidan’s approach particularly inspiring is that reuse has become part of the way pupils think. Instead of immediately asking, “Where can we buy this?”, they are encouraged to ask, “What do we already have that we could use?”

From a Christmas tree made from glass bottles and outdoor lights made from old IBC tanks to a conveyor belt pathway and a community crochet village, St Aidan’s demonstrates that creating a culture of reuse is about looking at materials differently and recognising that something that may no longer be useful for one purpose could have plenty of life left in another.

For the pupils involved, the biggest lesson is simple: before buying something new, stop and think about whether something you already have could be reused, repaired or repurposed instead.

Did You Know?

Zero Waste Week began in the UK in 2008 with just 100 participants. Today, people in more than 85 countries take part. The campaign encourages participants to choose an action that will reduce waste and to continue those habits beyond the week itself.

For schools, Zero Waste Week can be a starting point for looking at one particular area of waste and considering how it could be reduced throughout the rest of the school year.

Whether it is food waste, paper, textiles, packaging or classroom materials, focusing on one area can help pupils understand where waste comes from and what they can do to prevent it.

One Thing Your School Can Try

Carry out a classroom waste audit

Choose one classroom and collect or record the waste it produces over a school day. At the end of the day, look at what has been thrown away and ask pupils:

What could have been reused?
What could have been avoided altogether?
Was anything thrown away that could have been repaired?
Could any of the materials have been used for another purpose?
Are we disposing of everything correctly?

You could then challenge the class to choose one type of waste to reduce over the following week.

It does not have to be perfect. The aim is to get pupils thinking about what they use, what they throw away and whether there is a better option.

A simple waste audit can also be a great starting point for a larger school project. Pupils could compare the results between classrooms, identify the school’s biggest sources of waste and come up with their own ideas for reducing it.

Looking Beyond Zero Waste Week

Zero Waste Week may only last for five days, but the habits we develop during it can last much longer.

As the new school year gets underway, I am looking forward to seeing how schools across the Circular Schools programme continue to find creative ways to reduce waste, reuse resources and work with their local communities.

If your school has introduced a great reuse initiative or found a creative way to reduce waste, I would love to hear about it. Your idea could inspire another school to try something similar.

Let us make Zero Waste Week the starting point for a more circular school year, and remember that creating less waste is not just something we do once a year. It is something we can work towards every day.