Single Use Plastics Virtual Work Experience Programme

This contractor has designed a single use plastics virtual work experience programme that is being delivered to schools across the country.

The programme designed by the Social Value Manager has been delivered face to face and virtually across 5 days and has also been accredited to an Industrial Cadet Silver award. As part of the programme students learn about Single Use Plastics and what they are and the impact on the environment, people and wildlife.

Students also learn about the use of SUPs in Construction and have a site tour to spot where SUPs are used. They are also tasked to write to the supply chain to ask them to look at alternative ways of packaging materials and presenting their ideas and solutions at the end of the week.

The programme is aimed at creating Single Use Plastics Ambassadors in the local communities where the project is based. Lendlease have delivered the programme with Tier 1 partners Willmott Dixon, Vinci, Kier and Munnellys. They also worked with a local charity called World Against Single Use Plastics (WASUP) to sponsor a book for primary schools about the impact of SUPs and the importance of reducing, reusing, refusing and recycling SUPs.

This book is going to be launched shortly to schools across Birmingham and the West Midlands and has been translated into Hindi and Urdu for distributing in India and Pakistan. The contractors have also worked with BMET College to create hoardings for the site around the SUP theme. The designs are in the process of being approved for installation around the site. Local schools have produced posters, songs and poems and raising awareness in the local communities.