Pupils from Monkfield Park Primary in Cambourne lobby MP Anthony Browne for action on plastic waste during visit to Parliament
Pupils from Monkfield Park Primary School in Cambourne took the fight against plastic waste to the Houses of Parliament and lobbied their MP for more action on the issue.
The pupils have been learning about the role of MPs and why talking to your representative is important.
They then put what they learned into practice at a face-to-face meeting in Parliament with South Cambridgeshire MP Anthony Browne. The children presented Mr Browne with a plastic-themed collage during the visit.
They were joined by students from nine other schools across the country, who travelled to London to urge their MPs to take more action on the UK’s plastic waste problem.
Monkfield Park pupils were among those taking part in The Big Plastic Count, a citizen science project run by Greenpeace UK and the non-profit organisation Everyday Plastic between May 16 and 22.
More than 100,000 households, schools, community groups and businesses across the UK counted their plastic packaging waste, recorded the different types they throw away and entered their results into a campaign website during the project. The aim is to convince the government to do more to cut plastic production, ban plastic waste exports and speed up the transition towards refill and reuse alternatives that are affordable, accessible and appropriate for all.
Following the visit to London, Nicola Simpson, Eco-Club leader and Year 5 teacher at Monkfield Park Primary, said: “It was a fantastic day and the children will remember it for the rest of their lives. They are inspired that they can make a difference to the world we live in and can inspire others to do the same.”
Mr Browne said: “It was great to see the schoolchildren’s enthusiasm and commitment for tackling the scourge of single use plastic. It causes so much unsightly pollution and persists for decades, and yet so much can be done to cut it. It is inspiring to see children engaged on environmental issues like this, and it was an honour to welcome them to Parliament.”
Maja Darlington, plastics campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “It’s hugely inspiring seeing these young people get involved and push their MPs for change. Their hard work and enthusiasm has really brought home the problems around the plastic crisis to some of the most powerful people in the country.
“Plastic waste is everywhere – the problem is huge and the challenge of fixing it can feel overwhelming. But as these students told their MPs, there are solutions out there – we just need our politicians and big businesses to grasp them. Whether that’s moving to refill and reuse products that are accessible to all or introducing targets to cut plastic production, by taking the right actions we can finally get a grip on plastic waste.”
