Recycle revival

Aim of activity Future Girl Acts is our new annual week of action. Every year we’ll come together on an issue you care about. This year it’s plastic pollution.

What you’ll get out of it • Discoverhowouruseofplasticscanharm

our planet.• Takeactionagainstplasticpollution.• Influencedecisionmakers.• Usecreativemodellingskillstocreate

plastic sculptures.

• Plasticitems–seenotetoleader• Recyclabletape–suchaspapertape• Abottletemplate,1pergirland

sculptureideas–availableatgirlguiding.org.uk/futuregirlactsresource

• Camera• Pens• Paper(optional)• Stickytack(optional)

What you’ll need

©Girlguiding2019Registeredcharitynumber306016.

60 mins

Future Girl Acts

Jump straight in

Note to leaderAcoupleofweeksbeforethissession,askyourgirlstocollecthardplasticwaste,forexample,yoghurtpots.Ensureit’sclean,safetouseandhasn’tbeenpurchasedspecificallytocompletethis activity.

Ifyourunitwantstotalkmoreabouttheplasticproblem,popbacktogirlguiding.org.uk/futuregirlactsresourcewhereyoucanfindgreatresourcestohelpyouexploretheissue.

Youcanfinddetailsofyourlocaldecisionmakers(forexample,yourassemblymember)at theyworkforyou.com.

Girlguidingunitseverywherewillbecompletingthisactivityandsharingitonlineusing#FutureGirlActsanddon’tforgettoshareyour#PlasticPromiseaswell.Photoswillbeaddedtoaphotowall,soyoucancheckouteachotherscreations.Remembertocheckphotopermissions before sharing photos online.

What to doHowmanypiecesofplasticdoyouthinkyou’vecollectedasagroup?Countitall

upandseewhowastheclosest.

Layoutallyouritems,endtoend,onthefloor.Creatingahumanchain,liedown

nexttoyourplasticline.HowlongisyourplasticlinecomparedtoyourGuidechain?Whatelsedoesyourlinecompareto?

What am I as long as?

• AbottlenosedolphinisaslongastwoGuides.

• AnorcaisaslongasfourandahalfGuides.

• Abluewhaleisaslongas17Guides.

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Whatmightallthisplasticdotoournaturalworld?Whatdoyouthinkwe

coulddotohelp?

Plasticpollutionisaglobalissuewhichisdestroyingourplanet.Everyyearwemakeover300milliontonnesofplastic–that’salmostthesameweightasalltheadultsintheworld.

Globally,onlyaround9%ofplasticisrecycled.Therestendsupinourenvironment.Itcantake450yearsforaplasticbottletobiodegrade.Thisisahugeissueforourplanetandanimals–around100millionseacreaturesarekilledeachyearfrom plastic pollution.

Deposit return schemes

Thereissomethingourgovernmentcandotohelpstopplasticendingupinouroceans– introduceadepositreturnscheme.

This is where people pay a little more money everytimetheybuyfoodordrinksinplasticbottlesorcontainers.Peoplethengettheirmoneybackwhentheyhandbacktheemptybottlesandcontainerstoshops.

Manycountriesalreadyhaveadepositreturnschemeandtheyworkwell.InNorwayover90%ofalltheirplasticisnowrecycled.IntheUKwerecyclelessthanhalfof our plastic.

TheScottishGovernmenthasalreadyannouncedadepositreturnscheme.Butwewant there to be one for the whole of the UKandaroundthewholeworld!

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GetintoPatrols.You’vebecomethePlanetProtectorcouncilandyouneed

toshowcasewhyweneedtotackleplasticpollution.Usetheplasticyou’vecollectedtocreate a big sculpture of something that you wanttosavefromplasticpollution,orsomething which shows you want plastic pollutiontostop.Forexample,youcouldmakea turtle or a massive plastic bottle.

Ready?Getsculpting!Makeitisbigasyou can to show the huge impact that

plasticpollutionishavingonourworld.Useyour recyclable tape to stick it all together.

Top tipYou can use small amounts of sticky tack to help your sculpture stick together. Just make sure you remove it before recycling your plastic andsaveittouseagain!

Whenyou’redone,bringallyourspectacularcreationstogether.Snapa

photoandyourleadercanshareitonlineusing#FutureGirlActsand#PlasticPromise.

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Wewantdecisionmakerstolistentous.Everyone,grababottletemplate

andwriteordrawaboutwhyyoucareaboutplasticpollutionandwhyyouwant ittostop.Yourleadercansendtheseto yourlocaldecisionmakeraspartofFutureGirl Acts.

Girlguidingunitseverywherearealsodoingthis. We want our voices to be part of the discussiononhowadepositreturnschemewouldwork.

Don’tforgettorecyclealltheplasticyou’veused–takeithomeortoa

recyclingcentresoyou’redoingyourbittostopplasticpollution.Ifyou’veusedstickytack,don’tforgettotakethisoffand reuse it.

Try it this wayWanttotryanotherwaytoinfluenceyourdecisionmakers?Visitgirlguiding.org.uk/futuregirlactsresourcetoexplorewhatInfluenceskillsbuilderactivitiesyou coulddo.

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Take it furtherIt’stimetotakeastandagainstplasticpollution. Make your own #PlasticPromise – comeupwithonewayyoucanuse lessplasticathomeandinyourunit. Yourleadercanshareitonlineusing #PlasticPromise.

Findoutmoreabouttherecyclingprocessandwaysyoucanhelpyourcommunityrecycle more at girlguiding.org.uk/futuregirlactsresource.