Mr Prendegast organised for Year 9 students to visit the Suez waste recycling site as part of their science work. Students were met by Jenny and Sarah, who explained all the health and safety measures before we all donned our high-vis jackets, hard hats and goggles.

We then had a tour of the facility, learning how the waste from our black bins is deposited by the lorries and how it is turned into electricity and aggregate used in construction. It was fun watching the grabbers mix the rubbish before depositing it into the hoppers that feed the furnace. The furnace was hot to watch, but not as hot as inside, at over 1,000 degrees centigrade!

The tour was very interesting and it was good to see that so much can be done with our non-recyclable waste. Apparently, the site at Ipswich produces enough electricity to power the whole town.

On returning to the education centre, the students learned about the hierarchy of waste and had a go at several activities, such as being on the sorting line for 'blue bin' recycling. The most popular activity was the bikes, where students had to match their cycling to the power needs on the grid throughout an entire day. Amelia holds the Stour Valley record at 96% accuracy.

The staff and students had a great time, and we all learned from our trip, which will support further study in class.