AN Ilkley based company has launched a nationwide recycling programme to encourage children aged five to 11 years to recycle plastic waste.

Working alongside We are Futures, who run The National Schools Partnership (NSP), Composite Prime’s Message in a Bottle Top campaign inspires key stage one and two pupils, from participating schools, to collect and repurpose their own bottle tops into thought-provoking art murals and sculptures; showcasing the creatures they’d love to protect from plastic pollution.

Composite Prime is the UK’s leading brand of sustainable composite decking and cladding and its director, Charles Taylor said: “With around eight million tons of plastic polluting the earth’s oceans every year, the race to protect marine life is growing more urgent every day. Playing our part in tackling this challenge is one of the key priorities for Composite Prime.

“Our Message in a Bottle Top campaign has been created specifically to target younger generations to ensure Composite Prime is doing its part in educating children to recycle. This is absolutely essential for us to continue diverting thousands of tons of discarded plastic from oceans and landfills every year.”

All competition entries submitted by schools, ahead of the deadline on July 5 2021, will be independently judged by Composite Prime. The top ten schools will have the opportunity to showcase their artwork in an online exhibition and the winning school will receive a playground makeover worth £5,000.

Built in line with the national curriculum and fulfilling learning objectives across art and design, science, maths and citizenship, the Message in a Bottle Top campaign provides teachers and support staff with associated learning resources; including lesson plans, presentations, artist top tips and activity worksheets to complete in class and at home.

Charles Taylor added: “Similarly to how Composite Prime turns waste products into beautiful decking products, the Message in a Bottle Top campaign teaches children the creative ways in which we can use trash and turn it into treasure; reducing the amount of plastic entering natural ecosystems along the way. We hope that schools across the country feel that the programme shares a very important environmental message with young people about wildlife and the effects plastic waste has on it.”

Participation in the Message in a Bottle Top programme works towards part of a school’s submissions for the Eco Schools Green Flag Award; an organisation passionate about engaging young people in environmental education and action.

In the last six years Composite Prime has saved the equivalent of 151 million plastic milk bottles from landfill.

To find out more about how to get involved with Composite Prime’s Message in a Bottle Top recycling programme, visit https://www.composite-prime.com/