Pupils at primary schools across Devon will soon receive a visit from Bonster, the food waste eating monster, to highlight the importance of using their food waste caddy.

The initiative is part of Recycle Devon’s Waste Education Programme and will be rolled out across East Devon, West Devon, South Hams and Mid Devon between November 2025 and March 2026, to teach children about the problems of food waste and how they and their families can help.

Councillor Ruth Williams, chair of the Devon authorities Strategic Waste Committee, said: “It is vital to teach children about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling waste from a young age, and doing so in a way that is engaging and fun. The messages the children learn in these assemblies can be put to good use in the family home, and it also sets a good foundation for later in life when they grow up and move into homes of their own.”

Environmental consultant Resource Futures will hold assemblies at schools, accompanied by Bonster, a character from a children’s book.

Pupils will be encouraged to check whether they have a food waste caddy at home and if their family are using it and will get an activity sheet and stickers to take home to decorate their caddy like a monster. The assemblies will be followed up a day or two later with an opportunity for parents or carers to collect a food waste caddy and learn more about household recycling.

Alex Mack, education team lead at Resource Futures, said: “The assembly is fun, very interactive and age appropriate. The children love meeting Bonster the monster and it really inspires them to go home, speak to their families and check to see if they are recycling all their food waste peelings, mouldy cheese, teabags etc. The assembly works well because it reinvigorates recycling in families that are already doing it but also the follow up visit to the school from recycling officers at home time gives families who aren’t recycling the opportunity to get a caddy for their home, and maybe other recycling boxes that they are missing, and begin food waste recycling.”

Bonster the Hungry Monster was produced by Torbay Council and Resource Futures as part of a successful food waste campaign in Torbay. The book shows the journey of Bonster from ‘Leftover land’ to a family's kitchen, where he is kept well-fed on all his favourite foods – peelings, scraps, leftovers and more.

The book was adapted by Devon County Council in 2023 and delivered by Resource Futures and was first rolled out to eight schools in Teignbridge.

Although households across Devon receive food waste collections, food waste still often finds its way into the black bin. A 2022 study found that nearly a third of Devon’s black bin waste is food waste, 79 per cent of which is avoidable and 35 per cent still packaged.

For more information about reducing, reusing and recycling at home visit recycledevon.org. For learning resources for teachers and parents, visit The Zone.