Ecobrick contest creates eco-warriors at Amanzimtoti preschool

FUTURE Einsteins Preschool is using healthy competition as a means to get children involved in filling ecobricks, which simultaneously grows their awareness of the environment and the detrimental effect plastic has on the planet and its creatures.

Teacher Michelle Lang (24), who runs Instagram page ‘More Sass Less Trash’ (@moresass_lesstrash), has introduced the initiative to the school and admitted that even teachers and parents are getting eagerly involved.

The school ‘s naturally competitive and educational atmosphere led Michelle to start the ecobrick. The environmentally-minded educator noted the drastic amount of rubbish that school-goers produce from lunch and snacks, and saw this as an opportunity to fill many ecobricks which work as building materials, while also educating the children.

All on ecobricks: Put another #ecobrick in the wall

At Future Einstein’s Preschool ecobricks are hastily filled to the brim with non-recyclable litter by each class, and the competitive streak runs all the way to the class teachers.

“Pupils are filling ecobricks at home and then bringing them into the class to hand in, and I’m filling them at school with litter generated from lunch,” explained Michelle. “Our cook at school is also giving us the rubbish, like spaghetti packets, to stuff into the two-litre bottles. Parents have come on board too and I’ve told those who don’t want to stuff the litter into bottles, to bring it into school and I will add it to my bottles. The competition will run until the end of term two, as it takes time to correctly fill an ecobrick.” Classes correctly filling the most ecobricks will be rewarded.

When asked whether the preschool pupils are linking the stuffing of litter into bottles, to the environment and the severe plastic problem the planet is suffering, Michelle exclaimed ‘definitely’.

Read also: Amanzimtoti ecobrick recycling confusion dents organiser’s pocket

“You must hear my children reprimand each other when they see another pupil throw plastic in the bin or not put their peels in the compost. They will dig in the bin to make sure everything is sorted in its correct place. They are little eco-warriors, even checking taps to ensure they don’t drip. I’m very proud of them. My boss is very aware now too. She uses reusable straws and avoids plastics whereas she never used to. It’s slowly spreading and it’s exciting,” she said.

The teacher shared that the school has a compost bin where peels and vegetable cut offs feed into. “We have a compost bin. We recycle paper and plastic. We even have a mini veggie garden that the monkeys are enjoying,” she said.

The ecobricks correctly filled (so that they don’t dent when stood on) will be collected and donated to Amanzimtoti SPCA, which is looking to build runs with them. Excess bricks will be collected and new ones continually filled towards also building a wall at the school and looking to eventually build raised garden beds for veggies that the children grow.

Besides the benefits of the ecobrick drive for the school, Michelle hopes other schools and businesses will follow suit and begin such initiatives in an effort to raise awareness of the amount of litter a household, class, school or business can produce in a short period of time, hopefully leading them to reduce plastic use significantly.

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