Cumberland Council is reminding primary and secondary school pupils across the area that there are fewer than three weeks left to take part in this year’s Baa‑ttery Recycling Competition.
Schools are encouraged to keep collecting used batteries and help make their communities safer by ensuring they are recycled responsibly instead of being thrown away.
Last year’s competition was a huge success, with 70 per cent of primary schools taking part and more than 2,000kg of batteries collected, and this year pupils are being challenged to build on that achievement and beat the impressive total.
The competition runs until Friday 13 February, giving pupils just a short time left to “herd” as many used batteries as possible into their school’s collection points. With battery use peaking over the festive period, now is the perfect time for children and families to bring in what they’ve saved at home.
Winners will once again be judged based on the number of batteries collected per pupil, ensuring all schools, big or small, have an equal chance of taking home a prize.
Sandra Cummings, Headteacher of last year’s winning Cumberland school, Waberthwaite C of E Primary School said:
“Taking part in the battery recycling competition gave us the opportunity to teach our children the importance of recycling batteries and the environmental benefits of such a scheme. We were delighted to receive so much support from our community and to win the competition last year, and we used the money to add additional reading books to our school library. We are delighted to be taking part again this year!”
Councillor Bob Kelly, Executive Member for Environment and Planning at Cumberland Council, said:
“We’re delighted to bring back the Baa-ttery Recycling Competition after last year’s fantastic success. It’s a fun and engaging way for young people to learn about recycling safely while helping protect our environment and the people who work in it.”
There are twelve prizes are up for grabs again this year:
- Four × £300 book tokens
- Four × £200 book tokens
- Four × £100 book tokens
Pupils are urged to keep collecting and bring in their used batteries before the deadline. Together, schools can help keep Cumbria safe, reduce waste, and protect the environment.