We are teaching schoolkids about plastic pollution

It is our goal to fight plastic pollution and recycle as much plastic as possible. It is also our goal to make sure that future generations are given the proper tools to safeguard the biodiversity of our planet.

That’s why we started an educational program about plastic pollution, waste management, and recycling in Thailand.

We could not have achieved that without Carina and Naa, who have been leading this program in Thai and Moken. They have been teaching children about the origins of plastic, the effects of plastic mismanagement, upcycling, and circular economy. They have also been introducing schoolkids to #tide ocean material®'s mission: Giving waste a value.

Considering the severity and level of intricacy of all these topics, it was crucial for our team to put forward workshops that would make the learning experience not only accessible and purposeful, but fun and creative. In this effect, Carina and Naa put together a colorful range of engaging activities:

• A PowerPoint presentation: with videos and interactive quizzes on waste types, plastic & its effects, and recycling.

• A recycling game: in which the pupils have to separate different types of waste and place each type in the correct bin (general waste, dangerous waste, green waste, recyclable waste).

• A twister game: illustrating the four waste types, each represented with a different color.

• A memory game: on the themes of marine life and plastic types.

• A who am I? game: illustrating marine creatures.

• A beach clean-up: consisting of collecting microplastics with handmade coconut buckets.

• Wooden fish decoration: where the children decorate wooden fish with paint and the collected microplastics as a way to give waste a value.

• A treasure hunt: where the schoolkids have to find a treasure in the school premises. They are given a map, which leads them to a panel of questions - testing what they have learnt during the workshops – giving them clues to find the prize.

And according to Naa and Carina, the children have been showing great interest in these topics and activities on each occasion.

Carina explained that some of the kids’ parents also wanted to participate in the workshops: "It was wonderful to see how keen the parents were on learning more about waste management and recycling.”, Carina says.

And because they needed the extra help, Carina and Naa decided to invite #tidey, #tide’s mascot, to accompany them throughout the whole educational program.

The children were immediately able to connect with #tidey and his mission; They were so excited about #tidey the octopus that they carried him around during the activities.

At #tide, we feel strongly about giving future generations the tools they need to safeguard the biodiversity of our planet. And we feel that there is no better way to do that than through amusing learning experiences.

This is just the beginning of an impactful initiative, which would not have been possible without our close collaboration with the Fondation Jan et Oscar and without the contribution of Maurice Lacroix.