Preventing Plastic Pollution project raises awareness at the Winter Olympics
11/02/2022
The traditional board game of snakes and ladders has been given a digital makeover by Interreg FCE project Preventing Plastic Pollution for the 2022 Winter Olympics (4-20 February).
A ‘scarves and ski-lifts’ version for schools and families has been created to celebrate the ‘Bound for Beijing’ challenge - Team GB and Paralympic GB’s new educational programme, supported by Sport England and The National Lottery.
The fun game features preventing plastic pollution messages delivered through a variety of physical activities, and can be downloaded from the ‘Bound to Beijing’ pages of the ‘Get Set’ website.
When players land on one of 49 squares they can move up or down scarves and ski-lifts while finding out about positive and negative behaviours that impact on the planet - like using sustainable soap bars or reusable bottles instead of single-use plastic products. Players can also do a physical challenge, like 10-star jumps.
Environment Agency project lead Kelly Haynes said: “We are thrilled to be part of this exciting engagement programme for young people, which inspires through the power of sport at home and abroad.
“This fun game teaches young people about the waste hierarchy and the small steps they can take each day to change behaviours, influence others, and help nip plastic pollution in the bud.”
A spokesperson for Rosetta Primary School in London, said: “The Preventing Plastic Pollution game, offered as part of the Bound for Beijing Challenge, is a quick and easy physical activity to get your class moving while highlighting the importance of waste. The pupils loved the reboot of snakes and ladders in the new active board game.”
The game has been created by the Environment Agency’s plastics and sustainability team on behalf of the Interreg-funded Preventing Plastic Pollution project.
It builds on new national sustainability guidance for the sports sector, which also encourages readers to sign up to the Big Plastic Pledge - a global campaign founded by Olympic gold medallist Hannah Mills that calls on sport representatives to ramp up efforts to tackle plastic waste.
Hannah Mills promoted the pledge at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where Preventing Plastic Pollution ‘Make Your Pledge’ flyers were included in Team GB’s Olympic kit bags, encouraging athletes to become plastic pollution prevention ambassadors.
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