Plume Academy, in collaboration with Maldon District Council, Essex County Council, and Braxted Park Estate, is thrilled to announce the launch of the ‘Let’s Talk Trash’ Festival. This innovative and engaging event aims to empower young people by providing exciting and participatory experiences that raise awareness of the impact of littering and waste on the environment. The festival will take place on July 18th, 2023, from 09.00am to 3.00pm at Braxted Park.
With the objective of fostering a deeper understanding of the consequences of littering and waste, ‘Let’s Talk Trash’ Festival seeks to inspire behavioural change among students, families, and the local community. By promoting practical strategies such as recycling, repair, and reusing, the festival encourages individuals to make conscious decisions that contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable environment.
The festival will feature six fun, educational, and interactive zones designed to challenge attitudes and create meaningful change. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the following zones:
1. Self-Respect: Focusing on personal responsibility and the importance of maintaining a clean environment.
2. The ‘art’ of Recycling: Unleashing creativity through the transformative power of recycling.
3. Love the Essex Countryside: Discovering the beauty and significance of the Essex countryside and how to protect it.
4. Essex Wildlife: Exploring the value of local wildlife and understanding its connection to the ecosystem.
5. What’s it Worth: Unveiling the impact of individual actions on the public purse and the collective difference they can make.
6. Making a Difference: Encouraging young people to take action, effect change and make a positive impact on their community.
Beyond the educational experiences, the festival will provide excellent networking opportunities for partners, stakeholders, exhibitors, service providers, and statutory bodies from across Essex. This collaborative environment will foster connections and enable fruitful discussions between these key players and the region’s youth.
Supported by the ECC Climate Action Challenge Fund, ‘Let’s Talk Trash’ Festival will be complemented by a comprehensive and engaging communications campaign. Through this campaign, all partners involved in the event will amplify its impact, ensuring that the message reaches every corner of the county and beyond.
“We envision the ‘Let’s Talk Trash’ Festival as a recurring annual event and a model for youth engagement, system change, and cultural transformation in Essex,” said the organizing team. “By empowering young people with knowledge, inspiration, and practical strategies, we believe this festival will catalyse a powerful movement towards a cleaner, greener future.”
Speaking of the event, Cllr Peter Schwier, Essex County Council’s Climate Czar and Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste Reduction and Recycling said, “We are delighted to be supporting the “Let’s Talk Trash” event. It is one of many inspirational projects which have been made possible through Essex County Council’s £500,000 Climate Action Challenge Fund.
“Working closely with our communities and schools is paramount as we all have an important role to play in transforming Essex to become a net zero county. The event will be a great opportunity for young people to learn more about daily changes we can make at home and school to protect our environment and planet.
“We will also be speaking with students and teachers about Essex’s pioneering Carbon Cutting Essex app, which is free to download on the App Store and Google Play, and the new Sustainability Library Challenge which will be launching for key stage 3 pupils in September.”
Launched by Essex County Council’s Libraries Team, the Sustainability Challenge aims to educate young people on global subjects, such as climate change – which is one of the 15 commitments of the library plan. The challenge itself is to complete six challenges from a larger list, ranging from reviewing one of our recommended reads, recycling batteries in the library, to signing up to the Love Essex Period Pledge. On completion of the challenge, the participants will receive a newly designed digital badge and a certificate.
The inaugural ‘Let’s Talk Trash’ Festival is expected to reach over 300 students aged 11-13, providing them with an unforgettable experience that will shape their understanding and actions towards waste reduction and environmental preservation.
