WOW Badges and sustainability
WE WANT HAPPY, HEALTHY CHILDREN TO BE WALKING ON A HAPPY, HEALTHY PLANET!
All of our WOW badges are made from recycled plastic material, including old fridge trays, plastic plates and even yoghurt pot off-cuts that were otherwise destined for landfill. They are produced locally in Cornwall, reducing our carbon footprint. The badges also arrive to schools in environmentally-friendly, biodegradable packaging.
COMMITTED TO REDUCE WASTE
Protecting the environment is incredibly important to us at Living Streets, it’s part of the reason we run WOW.
Since 2019, we’ve recycled and reused over 1.1 million badges by producing WOW trophies and rulers with them, as well as reusing them as rewards across our other Walk to School initiatives.
REDUCING, REPURPOSING AND RECYCLING
Each WOW badge has been thoughtfully designed by a pupil from across the UK as part of our annual badge design competition. They are a collectable reward for walking to school, to be cherished for years to come.
When surpluses do occur or badges are no longer wanted, we encourage you to recycle them wherever possible. You can do so if your local facilities accept High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS), removing any pins first. We recommend that all pins are removed by an adult.
Not only are we proud to have found a use for landfill material, we have also been working hard to cut back on the amount of paper-based resources that we offer schools. Since the launch of our online WOW Travel Tracker in 2012, we have produced almost 100,000 fewer paper units. Oh, and the ones that we still produce are made using vegetable-based inks and are 100% recyclable.
In fact, even the packaging that carries our products to our warehouse is made from 70% recycled material and is 100% recyclable, going on to get re-recycled yet again.
REDUCING UNWANTED BADGES
We actively encourage schools and local authorities to order the correct amount of badges for their pupils to avoid waste and we tailor what we send out to suit each school’s needs and requirements.
LIGHTER, GREENER BADGES
We’ve worked with our supply chain to develop a lighter WOW badge, further reducing our carbon footprint and supporting the environment. Our new badges contain almost 20% less plastic, whilst remaining as colourful and durable as ever.
LOOKING AHEAD
We are committed to continuously reviewing our practices to ensure our resources are ethical and sustainable. In the coming years, we will be working with our suppliers to develop even better ways to repurpose and recycle our WOW badges, as well as exploring alternative materials.
