Islington’s £200,000 state-of-the-art recycling education centre – i-recycle – officially opens its doors on Friday, 7 October. <br><br>The purpose-built centre is made entirely of recycled or sustainable material, so chairs and table-tops are made from recycled industrial chopping boards, puzzle games are made of plastic bottles and timber products are Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. It’s the first of its kind in the country and other councils are banging on Islington’s door to find out how it was done.<br><br>The council has developed the centre with experts from the Science Museum. It features touch-screen displays, games and videos to teach local youngsters and adults about recycling and waste issues. <br><br>To mark the opening of the centre, Islington Council is launching a competition for local school children, asking them to write in with why they think recycling is important, and how they help to reduce waste at home and in school. <br><br>Visits to the centre – by appointment only – are free for Islington schools and community groups. Visitors can find out about the UK’s rubbish problem, discover how to make a real difference in reducing rubbish by recycling at home and be amazed by the interesting things that can be made from rubbish, including i–recycle itself. <br><br>Commenting, Cllr Bridget Fox, Islington’s executive member for sustainability, says:<br>“In Islington we now recycle over 15% of our household rubbish – above the London average – but we are aiming much higher than that. Recycling more saves resources today and protects our environment for the future. The i-recycle centre is a brilliant place to inspire people of all ages to get recycling.” <br><br>Keith Greaves, Development Manager for the Science Museum Trading Division adds: "The Science Museum has been delighted to work with Islington Council on<br>the creation of the i-recycle education centre. As an organisation, this project has been an excellent chance to show how the Science Museum can offer its world-renowned skills in content communication to create an innovative educational resource, whilst also furthering our own commitment to sustainable development. “<br><br>For more information about the i-recycle centre phone 020 7527 4577. Email melissa.painter@islington.gov.uk or visit www.islington.gov.uk<br><br>ENDS<br><br>Notes to editors:<br><br>For media enquiries about the I-recycle centre, please call Helen Ashley at Upward Curve on 020 8974 7241<br><br>· Islington Council puts sustainability at the heart of all the services it delivers – and it is one of its four corporate priorities. The borough faces tough recycling targets, but has seen dramatic increases in levels of recycling – almost doubling in the last 12 months.<br><br>· The Science Museum exists to promote the public understanding of the history and contemporary practice of science‚ medicine‚ technology and industry. It aims to inspire‚ educate and involve visitors. It achieves this by building‚ researching and caring for the national collections; and by interpreting these collections and engaging the public in the contemporary issues they raise.<br><br>· Electronic images of children using the i-recycle centre are available on request.<br><br>· Local children, teachers, Cllr Bridget Fox, Islington’s lead member on sustainability issues and representatives from the Science Museum are available for interview on request.
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009