Coca-Cola and Eco Plastics launch new education centre
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has opened a brand new education centre at Continuum Recycling – its joint venture with Eco Plastics in Hemswell, Lincolnshire
As part of CCE’s national education programme, the latest investment will support the company’s drive to introduce young people to the world of business, enterprise and engineering.
The new centre aims to host over 200 visits per year, reaching over 4,000 students from local secondary schools, colleges and universities.
Visitors to the education centre receive subject related insight into the recycling production process alongside a guided tour of the factory floor, according to Coke.
Each centre is run by a General Teaching Council (GTC) registered teacher, employed full-time by CCE, and supports learning on a variety of subjects, including Business Studies, Science, ICT, Engineering, Design & Technology.
According to CCE, students from the Cordeaux School in Louth were the first to attend the new centre and experience its benefits first hand, taking part in an interactive classroom session and factory tour.
‘Insight to the world of business’
Simon Baldry, managing director of Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) said: “We are committed to playing a positive role in the communities in which we operate, and one of the best ways to achieve this is by opening up our sites to support the work of educators.
“Our education centres offer students valuable insight into the world of business, allowing them to make connections between what they learn in the classroom and real-life modern manufacturing practices. Modules taught at Continuum Recycling, as at all of our education centres, link directly to the national curriculum. We look forward to welcoming secondary and further education students to this state of the art facility to experience the site and learn more about the recycling production process.”
Philomena Lympaney, teacher at Cordeaux School, added: “Our students thoroughly enjoyed each element of the session, from the practical demonstrations to the site tour. The visit made them all think seriously about the journey waste products go through, which they found both informative and inspiring.
“We particularly enjoyed the challenge set by CCE, where the students were charged to create a scheme designed to educate and encourage others to recycle more. We are very much looking forward to booking future visits to the centre.”
According to CCE, the new centre is the fifth of its kind in Great Britain, with similar facilities at other CCE sites including Sidcup, Wakefield, Edmonton and East Kilbride in Scotland.
