Upcycled materials are transforming school playtime

Wanted: Vibrant hubs of exploration and discovery

School playgrounds used to be just a space of asphalt and metal, colourful yet often dominated by static equipment and offer limited playtime activities. Apart from being just a fun break from lessons, having a well-designed play environment featuring lots of creativity and imaginative play in school can significantly impact a child’s development.

This is the vision of Outdoor Play and Learn (OPAL), an award-winning school improvement programme that empowers to create sustainable, engaging play environments using ‘loose parts’ – everyday materials like tyres, pallets and even ship’s wheels! These are excellent recycled items that children can ‘move, combine, change, alter and manipulate’. These types of resources spark children’s imagination, fostering not just fun, but also social, emotional and physical development.

SUEZ and OPAL join forces to transform schoolyards

Recognising the transformative power of OPAL, SUEZ saw an opportunity to help provide a holistic approach to creating a nurturing learning environment for children. The partnership is simple as it is impactful. OPAL identifies needed materials, and SUEZ collects them from its network of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs). Clean tyres, wooden pallets for low-level staging and storage, bikes and scooters, wooden outdoor kitchens, netting and even small items such as buttons, shells and beads, and the occasional guitar are given a new lease on life, becoming building blocks for imaginative play.

The partnership does not stop there. Employees volunteer their time and expertise, working alongside teachers and children to build play structures and bring these creative spaces to life. All this is a testament of SUEZ’s commitment to sustainable practices for the people and the planet.

Building a brighter future, one playground at a time

The result is undeniable. School playgrounds across north-east England are being transformed with sustainable materials. SUEZ has already supported two schools in Tyneside and has plans to expand their reach to Teesside and beyond.

Children are thriving in these stimulating environments, experiencing the joy of creative play and reaping the developmental benefits it offers. According to Mrs. Bradford, headteacher at Christ Church Primary School, the children are thrilled with this initiative. “Thank you to SUEZ for supporting us with our goal to create more sustainable creative play for our children. They have volunteered their time to make new items as well as providing us with our own materials to work with,” she said.

This innovative partnership between SUEZ and OPAL, which will be further expanded, is a blueprint for positive change. It demonstrates how businesses and communities can work together to create a more sustainable future, not just for the environment, but for the well-being and development of our children.