Flipper the dolphin raising awareness around plastic

Children at Myddle Primary School were among the first to start filling the mesh cage, shaped like a dolphin, with throwaway plastic bottles to highlight the damage that is being done to the oceans.

Flipper is currently at the British Ironwork Centre where it was made. But next year it will be visiting schools as part of their own work on recycling.

The mesh dolphin follows on from the Ironwork Centre's Giraffe Bottle Top Challenge.

Schools from as far away as Northumberland, Devon and even Belfast are loaning one of a number of giraffes to act as an artistic store for bottle top collections.

Clive Knowles, chairman of the British Ironwork Centre, said: "Each participating school is given the opportunity to borrow a giraffe for a month where they can fill it as many times as they wish with metal and plastic bottle tops.

"Once they have reached their personal goal, we ask that each school uses the recycled bottle tops to create something of use for their school or community, such as art projects or even footpaths."

He said flipper would act in the same way.

"This completely free project has been specifically designed to help educate children about the importance of protecting our planet whilst inspiring them to think both innovatively and creatively in order to help make important environmental changes," he added.

"This project aims to show children that waste can be a valuable resource in creating useful products and that recycling can be extremely rewarding.

"Flipper will be travelling to schools in Shropshire to broaden children’s awareness of plastic and how we can better care specifically for our marine environment.

"Any school wishing to join Flipper's journey around Shropshire just needs to email or call our environmental officer."