The term ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ might be familiar in lots of classrooms, but seven north London primary schools have managed to truly put it in to practice, cutting waste by a whopping 45%, based on measurements taken at the start and end of the year. Through North London Waste Authority’s (NLWA) In the Know education programme, pupils and teachers carried out ‘audits’ of their bins, before putting in place a range of waste and recycling interventions that led to a reduction in overall waste.
If extrapolated across the whole school year, the waste savings would equate to around 124 tonnes of waste1. That’s about the same weight as 20 African elephants2.
Schools that had a food waste recycling service in place also managed to reduce their wasted food by half. Pupils learnt about why waste reduction is more important than recycling, especially with something like food, which is high in embedded carbon and yet often thrown away because too much was prepared, or it wasn’t eaten in time.
Just under 3,000 pupils, staff, governors, and parents were engaged as part of In the Know. Students led much of the change themselves, for instance, devising and running their own classroom recycling campaigns. Teachers received tailored resources to embed sustainability into everyday learning and NLWA officers also checked the school recycling infrastructure, providing advice to solve problems or improve participation.
Schools themselves have been thrilled with the results. Sophie Ooi, a teacher from Parkside Primary School in Waltham Forest, said: “The In the Know project has really helped us begin to become more sustainable as a school. Both children and staff have become more conscious of waste and the powerful impact that small changes can have on our environment. The project has been incredibly engaging for the children, sparking curiosity and encouraging responsible habits. We’re excited to build on this momentum and continue our sustainability journey next year.”
NLWA Chair, Cllr Clyde Loakes MBE, said: “The results of In the Know, after its first year of running, are inspirational. It’s clear that entire school communities have got behind the waste reduction message, understanding its importance in tackling the climate emergency and protecting this planet for future generations. I can't wait to see what more we’ll achieve as other schools take part in years to come.
“While it can be tempting to look to recycling rates to measure impact, it is through reuse, repair and avoiding over-consumption that we can really make a difference. NLWA has been proudly pushing this agenda for well over ten years, and we will continue to do so, seeking new ways to manage waste in the most sustainable way, asking government for policy change and campaigning for producers to play their part.”
Building on this year’s success, NLWA will expand the programme to even more schools from September 2025. The next phase will include a school staff development away day for teachers and a new partnership with Chefs in Schools, bringing food waste education and sustainable cooking into our schools. Interested schools can register their interest at nlwa.gov.uk/InTheKnow
[1] End of year waste audits for one school day found a reduction of 649kg of waste across all schools. This figure was multiplied by 192 – the number of school days in a year, to provide an estimate of the annual waste reduction, 124 tonnes.
[2] This is based on the assumption that an African elephant weighs between 6-7 tonnes.
