Bags full of litter. An investigation into what's lying around. And finally: a large, colorful whale made from litter. Students from grade 5b of De Schakel primary school in Nieuw-Lekkerland have been working hard on it these past few weeks. On Tuesday, July 15th, they presented their artwork to us.
The students went out into the neighborhood themselves and investigated what types of litter were scattered throughout the area. From beer caps to cigarette butts, cardboard, construction debris, and even an old tire: it was all in their own neighborhood. They incorporated their findings into a report and a striking artwork: a whale made of litter.
"When we saw what was there, we wanted to do something with it," says a student from group 5b. "It doesn't belong in nature. We wanted to create something that clearly shows that."
On July 15th, the whale was officially presented to our director, Jürgen Rau, and education officer Wessel Keizer. "What these students did goes right to the heart of our educational work," says Jürgen Rau. "They picked up litter, reflected on it, and turned it into something positive. That's exactly what we want to achieve with the Waste-Free Schools program: children discovering for themselves why waste and resources matter and that every action—no matter how small—every day makes a difference. We hope this will encourage other schools to get started too. We're happy to help."
Waste-Free Schools Program
De Schakel's project aligns with the objectives of the Waste-Free Schools program, which has been supporting primary schools in the region with education about waste, the environment, and behavior since 2014. We assist schools with teaching materials, collection tools, guest lectures, and excursions. In return, they don't have to pay for the separated waste that is collected. Around 80% of the primary schools in the region are now members. Keizer says: "We provide free materials and our expertise to schools that want to get started with waste and raw materials. Whether you're just starting out or already more advanced, we're happy to help."
The whale from De Schakel will have a prominent place in our office. Not just as a work of art, but as a lasting symbol for a generation that is learning to look differently at waste and raw materials.