WOW 2009 - Wipe Out Waste Award winners
The results are in from the 2009 Footprint Friends WOW Awards Ceremony. Student teams from schools across the UK travelled down to London in November, to pitch the top ten 2009 WOW ideas to our ‘Green Dragons’ in a Dragons Den-style ceremony at the Frontline Club in Paddington.
The ideas, ranging from Meat-Free Mondays, to Re-Use Rain To Flush Our Drains, to Stop Throwing Away Perfectly Good Pencils, were pitched in pressurised 10-minute spots to senior figures in business, industry, science and the environmental lobby in a bid to win first prize for their schools. - The installation of a powerPerfector, enabling the school to reduce its power consumption and carbon footprint by up to 20%.
Footprint Friends founding director Karen Ford said: "WOW is all about the conscious thoughts and voices of young people in tackling climate change. We are giving them a platform and the backing of action to go out and really make a difference to our world. The energy and initiative on show to do just that has been amazing." All of the ideas presented were of an exceptional standard - and highlighted the talent and passion young people have for being part of the drive to a more sustainable way of living. Just as in Dragon’s Den, the Green Dragons were looking for the idea that had the most potential to succeed and be rolled out in schools nationwide.
The winning team, from Canon Burrows CE Primary School in Tameside, Manchester (a fifth flag Eco-School), came up with an ingenious idea to sustain the use of pencils which are normally thrown away when they have been half used. Their innovative design of a clever pencil holder that grips the pencil from new until it runs out sustains the pencil's use until it is a stub. The idea has been developed further to incorporate a comfy grip, using sustainable materials, and even with commercial potential - all in a reusable device.
The Canon Burrows Team comprised Miah Chaudhry (10), Rebecca Gunby (10), Ewen Hine (11), and Oliver Thornley (11). "It was a really intense experience," said Miah. "We were dazzled at coming to London and really enjoyed making the presentation." Oliver added: "But we enjoyed it most when we won!" Teacher Suzanne Fildes said: "We thoroughly enjoyed the event even before we won, but winning means so much to the children and it will have an impact on the whole school which is really committed to climate change action."
Second place went to the team from Smithycroft Secondary in Glasgow with their detailed plan to stop the schools use of 3million pieces of disposable dinnerware which goes into landfill each year, replacing it with reusable melamine place settings. In joint third were Park School in Lancashire with 'Local Milk for All' to stop using milk in tetra packs and switch to milk in recyclable glass bottles sourced from a local dairy, and St Luke's Science & Sports College in Devon with a commercial idea to take its litter and food waste to be recycled and reused or sold on. All ten finalist teams were presented with a range of goodies including an energy monitor, signed books by authors present at the event, and T-shirts.
Angus Robertson, CEO of sponsor powerPerfector, added: "WOW is all about these children and their role in our society. By understanding the importance of goals and the responsibility we all face on climate change, they are the leaders of tomorrow. I was ready to back the winning idea before the judges and the brilliance of these young people is not only impressive, it gives hope."
The 'Green Dragons' were: Prof Bill McGuire (UCL), Ian Fielder (BIFM), Liz Goodwin (WRAP), Hannah Thomas (Otesha Project), Tracey Smith (Author/The Book of Rubbish Ideas), and South Coast entrepreneur, Kev Roberts.
