Ireland
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In celebration of European Week for Waste Reduction, the Northern Ireland Resources Network (NIRN) has launched an environmental education programme to promote zero-waste principles among young people.
Three schools from the ABC Borough—St Francis Primary School in Lurgan, St Patrick's Primary School in Aghagallon, and Waringstown Primary School—are taking part in the pilot initiative.
The Zero Waste Champion programme seeks to embed Circular Economy principles in schools by educating students on ways to eliminate waste and adopt reuse and repair practices. The pilot includes interactive workshops and culminates in a celebration event to showcase the schools' achievements. It is the first programme of its kind in Northern Ireland, targeting reduced consumption and providing students with skills to combat landfill and recycling challenges.
The workshops will be delivered by Scottish environmental education group Ostrero and NIRN members, including FareShare NI (addressing food waste), Habitat for Humanity (focusing on waste diversion), and Tools for Solidarity (teaching stitching skills to tackle textile waste).
Environment Minister, Andrew Muir said: "This is a wonderful example of funding from the Carrier Bag Levy supporting an environmental project to improve the understanding of waste prevention issues and promote behaviour change within schools and the community."
Eimear Montague, Executive Director NIRN said: "Young people are the next generation of decision makers and by helping them appreciate our resources early on – and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to extend the life of materials and products – we can support waste reduction and contribute to a more sustainable Northern Ireland."
The pilot is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Education and Rural Affairs (DAERA) through the Carrier Bag Levy, with the aim of rolling out the programme to schools across all council areas in autumn 2025. The programme will also be developed to include Zero Waste Champions in communities and workplaces following the pilot.
