David Washington speaks to inspired children at Alfreton Grange School for the Love Food Hate Waste campaign at an event at the Museum of Brand, Packaging and Advertising.
The children won the Fresher for Longer programme – a project which challenged 10 secondary schools to demonstrate their understanding of how packaging protects food on its journey from field to fork and helps to reduce its perishability by creating innovative campaigns.
Fresher for Longer, part of the UK’s national Love Food Hate Waste campaign, gave students in 10 secondary schools across England and Wales the chance to tackle food waste in their own school communities. After a series of food waste workshops delivered by Global Action Plan, the 195 students designed and implemented their own food waste behaviour change programmes. The resulting creative campaigns saw student teams reaching out to 50,000 people including classmates, teachers, and families and even to local businesses and local governments.
David told the children, “The Alexir Partnership has been very proud to be involved in this Fresher for Longer project and firstly I must congratulate you all for winning the competition. All of the schools made an excellent effort including Warwick School in Redhill that Alexir sponsored. Most importantly Alfreton Grange School won and you should be proud of yourselves for the effort that you all put into it. I have personally been inspired by the project and also by the teams and school taking part. Taking young inspiring people, as yourselves, out of your comfort zone to get involved in a project such as this is not only fun, being outside of the school curriculum, but has given us as an industry and you guys the opportunity to work with the industry that supports reduction in waste.”
The campaigns were assessed by representatives of the packaging sector, Global Action Plan and WRAP who were amazed by the very high standard. Alfreton Grange Arts College most impressed the judges. Other schools commended for their magnificent efforts were The Warwick School and All Saints Catholic Academy. Ousedale School was also singled out for the Love Food, Hate Waste award for their innovative video.
“Again, I have been inspired with your own ideas that have come through from you all to help reduce waste and minimise waste where possible. Recycling all waste is so important not just to the UK but globally and your inspiration for this project will help this process and spread the knowledge. On behalf of the British Packaging Federation we thank you for not only taking part but winning! I would also like to thank Martyn and Anna and the whole team at Global Action Plan for their commitment to the project in delivering the Fresher for Longer project across the schools taking part.”
“You as winners now have this opportunity today to visit and see around this wonderful museum of brands – brands that you will see and recognise today are worth billions of pounds in the global market. Be inspired today and by industry leaders who help deliver these brands, Alan Sugar and Richard Branson to name just two. Don’t ignore this area of business when the time comes for you to leave education and start a career. Brands and everything involved with them, design, development, manufacture, product & packaging, retail and advertising – all of these elements help support and develop the brands. My whole career has been involved with the development of brands and launching own label brands for Sainsbury’s and Homebase. I am now involved in the packaging for the brands in all the supermarkets we work with: forests to develop different materials, manufacture, design, marketing through to launch. Packaging is a massive market for everyone looking for a career. Again, well done for winning this competition, remember, now and in the future, each and every one of you can help make a difference in helping to reduce food waste and all waste in our society.
Thank you.”
