Recycle week 2020

With all the COVID-19 back to school challenges it would be understandable if the fact that this week is Recycle Week had passed you by. But not here at Playforce!

Now in its 18th year, Recycle Week is a celebration of recycling, organised by WRAP under the Recycle Now brand.

This year, the theme will thank the nation for continuing to recycle despite the challenges that COVID-19 has presented, under the banner 'Together - We Recycle'.

Organisers WRAP said: “We want Recycle Week 2020 to recognise the sacrifices that key workers and citizens have made to keep recycling going and create positive change in the world around us. Our recycling and waste key workers have heroically carried on collecting while the world slowed down around them.”

First of all, last year we set out our pledges to focus on the environment here at Playforce HQ. You can read more about these here. These include a pledge to replace individual desk bins with larger central recycling points to encourage recycling of paper, plastics and metal.

We also published a blog with teaching ideas for learning about the environment. You can read this here.

Here are our top products that have recycling firmly fixed in mind… and they’re super simple to introduce at your school this year. Remember we do term-time installations too!

Giant School Composter - This introduces children to nature’s recycling process, growth and decay. Two large doors on the top enable you to add bulky organic waste and a hatch allows easy access to compost at the base.

Upcycled Mud Kitchen - This award-winning product, exclusively from Playforce is made from recycled timber and includes a sink and hob. The recycled timber and tap means that each Mud Kitchen is slightly different.

Fun Grow Planter - Constructed from play-grade sanded timber this high quality rectangular planter bed can be used for growing a variety of plants and vegetables, using your own compost and even cuttings taken from other plants. This planter is also available in a square configuration, as a taller seating planter option or using natural bark sleepers.

 

Worm World Discovery - Find out about worms and how they can help with recycling with our Worm World Discovery centre. The front panel features interesting facts all about worms and the curved roof keeps worms cool and protected from the sun. Includes a voucher for approx 300 worms and nutrient rich compost!

 

And, as it’s only a few weeks to National Tree Week we’re already getting ready for it and excited! It stands to reason that, with a large part of our product range being wooden, trees play a pretty important part here at Playforce.
 
So why is sustainable timber such a great material for play equipment?

Well, first and most importantly, there are some practical considerations. It’s really strong and durable - in many cases more so than the various options available for metal and plastic. It’s entirely flexible in a design sense - there isn’t very much you can’t do with timber. But it’s also flexible in an installation sense. It is far more adaptable to different sites and ground conditions, making it a more practical material for some school playgrounds - particularly those working with challenging sites. 
 
But there are lots of other reasons we like to use timber. First, we love the fact that it’s a natural material with wonderful opportunities in terms of design. Not only does it fit in beautifully when you’re trying to create a forest or woodland theme, but, even in an urban environment, wood softens the scheme design and presents fantastic textures and colours.
 
And finally, it’s a great material for play equipment because it’s sustainable - or can be if sourced from the right places. At Playforce we’re committed to producing and installing the very highest quality of sustainable wooden play equipment. This means that all of our products are made from FSC certified timber that has been sustainably sourced from a supplier that meets internationally and nationally agreed standards of responsible forest management.
 
There’s no denying that timber products are amongst our most popular. Here are our favourite timber products - offering something for every school or setting and every site, no matter how urban, small or challenging!

Finally… don’t forget that this week is also Bike to School Week! It’s back for 2020 and it's more important than ever to celebrate cycling to school and the benefits of travelling actively for children. Find out how you can get involved here… and remember you can get our Balance Bike, Safety Scooter, Tricycle and Scooter as part of our Ready-to-Play range!

For more information about Recycle Week or our environmental pledges, or to make an appointment to discuss your play projects, please contact us on 01225 792660.