Delivered by trained ‘polymer ambassadors’ from across the UK plastics industry, over 2,500 pupils across the UK have had the interesting world of plastics introduced to them via a bespoke science lesson.
The Polymer Ambassador Scheme was launched at the end of 2016, with school visits starting in 2017.
The initiative provides people from across the plastics industry with the opportunity to teach school children about polymers by training them to use an engaging kit of five plastics-related science experiments.
The Polymer Ambassador Scheme is run by the British Plastics Federation (BPF) and PlasticsEurope and has proved to be a great success, with more than 80 people already trained.
BPF Industrial Issues Executive Mo Elkhalifa, said: Reaching over 2,500 pupils is a major milestone that highlights the value of being a polymer ambassador. As society continues to learn how to use plastics more intelligently, it is vital that children understand the enormous potential of polymers, how interesting and variable their properties can be, and the value they bring to our everyday lives. If you work in the plastics industry, we will be training more polymer ambassadors during 2020 and you can register interest now."
PlasticsEurope Regional Director Kim Christiansen, added: "Polymer ambassadors are trained how to successfully deliver an interesting and informative science lesson, together with relevant information about working with children in an educational setting. We are delighted that – with the support of those in our industry – these educational kits have proved to be such a valuable teaching resource and that so many pupils have been reached. These are the engineers and material scientists of the future."
Building on the success of the existing scheme and support of PlasticsEurope, the BPF is developing a recycling-focused science kit, which is linked to learning objectives within the National Curriculum.
This will teach students how to distinguish between and sort different plastics such as LDPE, PP and PET.