Reducing waste at school summer fairs
With the stress of SATS behind us, many schools will now be moving into summer fair season. Although a well needed reward after a year of hard work, many of the schools we work with have reported that their summer fairs can be a huge source of waste. That’s why this year we’ve pulled together a few simple ideas for how to keep your events environmental impact as low as possible.
- Plastic bottle return scheme - Encourage students to collect and return bottles for a small reward. It’s a great way to boost recycling, gives the students something fun to do and will help keep litter to a minimum throughout the day! This could be part of a general recycling station, managed and run by students, where people can bring their rubbish and sort it into the correct bins.
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Reusable cups, plates, or cutlery discounts - Why not encourage your food and drinks vendors to offer a small discount for people who bring their own reusable cups, mugs and plates? Many shops and events now make use of schemes like this. Not only does this cut down on single-use items and potential for litter or overflowing bins, but it also promotes the habit of carrying reusables generally. It can even help reduce the costs of cups and plates for vendors too!
- Second-hand school uniform - A summer fair can be a perfect place to have a second-hand uniform stall. Many families have outgrown clothes lying around, and this is a great way to give them a second life while saving parents money. Uniform can be offered out for free or for money, helping to cover some of the cost of the day. NLWA has advice and resources on how to set up a second-hand uniform swap here.
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Toy swap - A toy swap can be a fun and sustainable stall to offer to punters. Students bring a toy they no longer need or want and leave with a “new” one, saving money for families and helping to build a circular economy in your school community.
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Rental catering equipment - We know that a large part of the cost of putting on events like school fairs is the catering equipment. This year, why not use an organisation like Partykit Network to rent it instead? It’s cheaper and means you’re not throwing away vast amounts of single use items at the end of the day.
These are just a few ideas you could think about when organising your summer fair. Even incorporating one or two in some way can have a massive impact on your school’s waste output, both by reducing waste on the day and by highlighting the importance of waste prevention to families, careers and students in your community.
If you’re putting on a summer fair and would like further advice on ways you can reduce your waste, get in touch with us at education@nlwa.gov.uk.
Published
23 June 2025