Pupils at primary schools across East Devon, West Devon, South Hams and Mid Devon will soon be receiving a visit from Bonster, the food waste eating Monster, as part of Recycle Devon’s Waste Education Programme.
Children will be taught how important it is to use their food waste caddy at home as part of a fun and engaging assembly, delivered by Resource Futures.
The high impact assemblies will take place from November 2025 to March 2026 and aim to raise awareness among children about the problems of food waste, and how they and their families can help.
Although households in these areas 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% of which is avoidable. It also found that 35% of all discarded food is still packaged.
Pupils will be encouraged to check whether they have a food waste caddy at home and if their family are using it. They will also be given an activity sheet and stickers to take home so they can decorate their caddy like a monster and share what they learnt with their family.
The assemblies will be followed up a day or two later with an opportunity for parents or carers to collect a food waste caddy at the end of the school day if they don’t already have one at home. Information about other household recycling will also be available.
Bonster The Hungry Monster is a character from a children’s book, 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 to 8 schools in Teignbridge and is now being rolled out to schools across East Devon, West Devon, South Hams and Mid Devon, thanks to funding from The Devon Authorities Strategic Waste Committee.
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.”
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.”
For more information about reducing, reusing and recycling at home visit recycledevon.org. For learning resources for teachers and parents, visit The Zone.