1. Storytelling

The programme starts with storytelling, where our trained facilitators share The Legend of Captain Fanplastic with the learners. Reading the book aloud, combined with graphic illustrations, creates an engaging world within which the kids can immerse themselves.

Here the learners start to understand what the impact of plastic pollution has on birds and marine life. We also teach them how valuable plastic can be if considered as a resource. #NoTrashButTreasure

2. Learning

Through a Q&A with Captain Fanplastic the kids learn what plastic is, its impact on marine life if not managed correctly and what to do with it so that it does not end up as waste. This is achieved by teaching the 5 R’s – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle as part of the behaviour change exercise before we head out on a ‘treasure’ hunts to bring this learning to life. This activity helps to ground the concept that plastic waste is #NoTrashButTreasure.

3. Creating

In the third lesson learners experience how they can reuse and re-purpose plastic by creating their very own Captain Fanplastic eye-patch and Fin the Turtle. The objective is to constantly drive and entrench the #NoTrashButTreasure mindset, this time through creativity and craft.

4. Cleaning

The grand finale features an exciting treasure hunt (clean-up) in the school’s surrounding area and a nearby beach, riverside or park. The learners are equipped with treasure maps that detail the types of litter they will find and we record the data to keep track of each haul. As the hunt ends we weigh each team’s collection and prizes are given to the most successful little pirates.

Why are they called little pirates? Because the Rrrrr…(Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle).

5. Closing the circle

After Captain Fanplastic visits a school, the leave behind is a treasure bin that enables the learners to continue on their journey as little pirates who Rrrrr. We match a recycling partner to the school and encourage an ecosystem of collection and recycling so that the long term benefits are entrenched and waste is constantly removed from the environment and treated.