Pupils at Shobdon School have a colourful new addition to the playground thanks to “talking rubbish” in a survey carried out by Herefordshire Council in association with Ledbury-based company Helping Hand.
A penguin “talking bin” has been presented to the school as a reward for them taking part in a county-wide litter and recycling audit.
The bin, which responds to being filled by saying phrases such as “Yum, yum, feed me more” and “That’s the best meal I’ve had today”, was donated by the Helping Hand Company.
Headteacher Mrs Vicky Hancock said: “We are very good at recycling and looking after the environment. A lot of children go litter picking and we are proud of keeping our grounds tidy.
“The talking bin is a fun way to encourage the pupils to properly dispose of their litter and I’m sure it will be well received,” she added.
Bobbie Hadley, Herefordshire Council’s strategy and development manager, handed out Steps to Sustainability bookmarks to the pupils. These highlight simple steps everyone can take to reduce the impact their activities have on the environment.
She said: “It is everybody’s responsibility to help the environment and the Steps campaign shows how we each have a role to play in achieving this.”
Janette Galloway from Helping Hand, who manufactures litter-picking equipment, was also at the handover to show the pupils how the bin works.
Results from the litter audit, completed by 23 out of 88 Herefordshire primary schools, are now being analysed and action plans will be developed in the summer.
Work to tackle issues highlighted will begin in the autumn term.