According to UNESCO “Trash Hacks are small actions to reduce waste which can lead to big ideas for the planet”. Ralleio participates in the Trash Hack campaign with the school’s Recycling Station activities which feature at https://www.trashhack.org/school-trashhacks/

Our in-school Recycling Station collects depleted batteries, plastic water bottles and plastic bottle caps, ink and toner cartridges, burnt-out light bulbs, electric/electronic devices beyond repair and used frying oil with the contributions of teachers, students and their families. Set up in 2012, it is run every year by teams of teachers and students and is used as a teaching tool in the framework of international, European and national networks and programs (ASPnet, Erasmus+, ESD and GCED projects). In this way, students learn hands-on that even the smallest pro-environmental action counts, teachers can include the experiential component of competences in their ESD teaching and theory and theoretical concepts are connected with immediate action in various teaching subjects as contextualised learning is provided. Volunteering and sharing are the core values of our school community and the Recycling Station is an added value to the concept of Whole School Approach to Sustainability that we adopt as a school awarded the Sustainable School Award.

We collaborate with the Prefecture of Attica, the municipal rewarding recycling scheme and charity organisations (in collaboration with Ralleio Solidarity Team) to provide free wheel chairs to destitute fellow citizens in exchange for plastic bottle caps. Finally, we are happy to let you know that the rate of daily consumption regarding single-use plastic water bottles by the school community has plummeted since teachers and students have switched to refillable water and beverage bottles.

The application file was developed and submitted by Ralleio UNESCO coordinating teacher Katerina Christodoulou.