No Plastic July - Clean Rivers
Metrocentre has been working with local schools, improving the environment, making a real, positive difference, cleaning up areas near the River Tyne and working towards a sustainable future for Gateshead.
Through partnering with 4 Gateshead Primary Schools, located near the river, we’ve been learning about the about the global marine pollution emergency.
The vast majority of plastics that end up in the world’s oceans are carried there by rivers, yet plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems has received far less research attention than in marine environments.
Concern about plastic pollution has risen rapidly in recent years, to a level where it is seen by some to be a threat as serious as climate change.
18 volunteers from Metrocentre worked with children from Bill Quay Primary, Dunston Riverside Primary, Ryton Juniors and Swalwell Primary schools, involving more than 260 children in the conversation about the plastic pollution, moving on to investigate and discuss the challenge being faced.
Beginning with a classroom session to raise awareness and discuss the sorts of litter seen regularly in the local area and thinking about how much of that litter is plastic.
With the great support of our partner GO North East, the learning was moved outside for the second session, to see the problem first hand. Undertaking a survey to find out what sort of litter people are leaving, then working together to clean up the areas surveyed.
Over 4 litter picks, we collected more than 30 bags of rubbish that others had carelessly discarded.
Claire Ritchie from Dunston Riverside Primary School told us “The children really enjoyed it and were really enthusiastic about looking after our local area and making it a nicer place free from litter!
The assembly was a great introduction for KS2 children to see how they can make a difference and it was good to see that many children were aware of the many ways they could help at home and at school”
