Plastic waste is not only difficult to decompose or biodegrade, plastic waste that is eaten by animals such as fish will eventually be consumed by us in the form of microplastics. This is certainly dangerous both for the environment and for ourselves. Departing from this fact, English for Holidays (EFH) UNY, which this year has the theme "Green Champion", introduced a new agenda entitled Recycling Workshop.
Through this activity, children increase their awareness of the dangers of plastic waste for themselves and the environment and learn to be creative in recycling plastic waste to be reused for different functions. "We see that there is still a lack of awareness among Indonesians about the impact of plastic waste on the environment. In particular, plastic waste takes hundreds to thousands of years to decompose in the soil," explained Dewi, who is in charge of the EFH 2024 Recycling Workshop agenda.
Some of the participants repurposed plastic bottles into decorative pencil cases, some recycled them into piggy banks, and some turned them into flower pots. Each was painted into beautiful and interesting creations. Dewi also emphasized that "...this awareness must be instilled from an early age, and through EFH 2024 we want to invite children to see the process of recycling plastic waste from the perspective of creativity, refunctioning plastic bottle and glass waste into works that are not only beautiful but also useful."
"Recycling Workshop" is not the only outdoor activity in EFH UNY 2024. In addition to indoor academic activities, this year's EFH also held various outdoor activities including the Grand Campus Tour, Culinary Day, and Field Trip. Each activity is colored by English expressions which become the breath of the skills taught in this event. This series of activities will be concluded by a culminating event, in the form of a drama performance by the children participating in EFH.
