LINDOW and Alderley Edge Community Primary Schools have been awarded the title of ‘junior recycling officers of the year’ at an awards ceremony.

The recycling programme – managed by Ansa Environmental Services on behalf of the council – was also ‘highly commended’ at the MJ Awards for ‘Innovation in Communications’ in London.

Schools from across Cheshire East took park in this year’s junior recycling officer programme, four of which reached the finals.

They included Alderley Edge Community Primary and Lindow Community Primary, Wilmslow.

The children delivered a five-minute presentation on the recycling efforts in their schools during the year to vie for a cash prize.

The judges were Cheshire East cabinet member for the environment Councillor Don Stockton, Ansa director Councillor Steve Hogben and Ansa deputy managing director, Jane Thomason.

After much deliberation it was decided that two schools could not be separated, and Lindow Community Primary and Alderley Edge Community Primary were jointly crowned.

As well as being awarded a shield each and a certificate to display, they were each awarded £150 to contribute to their school recycling projects at the event held at Tatton Park.

The judges were impressed with the high level of standards and their passion to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle.’

Children showed initiatives such as collecting old mobile phones to recycle and resell to raise money for a defibrillator, creating chairs from newspaper as well as pieces of artwork made from recycled materials.

Cllr Don Stockton said: “Every year, the standard of entries for this competition gets higher and higher. It was too difficult to choose one winner and these two schools demonstrated a clear understanding of their role, as well as how to bring the message alive in their school, at home and with friends and family.”

Cllr Steve Hogben said: “The junior recycling officer programme continues to go from strength to strength.

“The passion for the environment shown by all of these children is a great example to us all and their teachers should also be congratulated. Inspiring children, such as these, hold the future of our planet in their hands.”

Cheshire East Council was delighted to be ‘highly commended’ in the ‘Innovation in Communications’ category at the MJ Awards in London for its success with the junior recycling officer programme.