3Rs

There’s a new family in town and they’re on a mission to get you thinking about rubbish! Reggie, Rosie, Robin, baby Raoul and faithful hound Rebel were made by Year 12 Art students at Mildenhall College of Technology, alongside artist and puppet maker Sarah Pooley. They were commissioned by the Waste Management team at Suffolk County Council to bring a humorous and quirky visual representation of the 3 Rs of waste - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

If you would like to book them to come to your school, community group or event, get in touch at suffolk.recycling@suffolk.gov.uk

They're a musical bunch - check out the 3R's song below!

The figures will be used to promote awareness and encourage debate around these important issues. You may have already seen one or two at roadshows around the county - if you haven’t, come and meet them here:

Reggie Reduce

This guy really has got saving the planet on his mind. He really doesn’t want to leave a big carbon footprint, He wants to make sure that his children and his grandchildren have got a world to look forward to…

What is he made from?

His head is made of a watering can, hose pipe eyes, watering rose mouth.

His hair is a reusable mop head.

He is wearing a cycling helmet.

His body is made from a wormery.

His arms and legs from plant pots and pipe insulation.

He is wearing a patchwork waistcoat made from cut up old clothes.

He is wearing a tool belt with screwdrivers and other tools and knows how to mend things.

He is carrying a ‘slim your bin’ bag because he wants to do just that.

In his bag he has a low energy lightbulb, a letter for the MPS (Mail Preference Service) to stop junk mail, an empty bottle of washing up liquid for refilling and of course, recycled loo roll!

Why is he a reducer?

He cycles most places so that he doesn’t contribute to carbon emissions.

He is a keen gardener and grows a lot of his own fruit and veg (he buys the rest loose from the market).

He buys products you can refill thereby cutting down on waste, like the mop and bottles.

He puts all his kitchen waste into his wormery and compost bin rather than sending it to landfill.

He insulates his pipes to conserve energy.

He always mends things rather than throw them away.

He tries to buy items that are of good quality and durable so they last longer. He never ever uses carrier bags.

Rosie Reuse

Rosie chooses to reuse by trying really hard to find an alternative use for things, rather than throw them away.

She doesn’t like unecessary waste and is often seen trawling round charity shops looking for good as new items at a reasonable cost.

What is she made from?

Everything she is made from has been used before.

Her and her baby’s head is made from a milk carton.

Her body is made from lampshades bought at charity shops.

Her arms are made from hoover pipes.

Her scarf and top made from revamped materials from the scrap store.

Parts of baby Raoul are made out of reused children’s toys.

Does that look like a disposable nappy?

The pushchair came from a car boot sale.

What about her designer handbag?

How many pints of milk has she ordered today?

Her belt is made out of curtain rings.

Why is Rosie a reuser?

She is very creative and thinks you can have fun making your own style by customising second hand items for clothing and jewellery.

She takes old clothes and other objects she no longer needs to charity shops and reuse centres.

She reuses old envelopes and sticks on a new address label.

She buys lots of recycled products because that is reusing resources.

Raoul wears reusable nappies from The Nappy Network rather than disposable ones which end up in landfill.

Every bottle from the milkman is used at least seven times saving energy and waste.

She has reusable bags to take out shopping so she doesn’t have to get plastic carriers.

Robin Recycle

Robin and her pooch Rebel are mad about recycling. Anything that’s plastic, paper, cardboard, metal - they love it! They know how important it is to preserve the world’s resources, recycling just one plastic bottle would save enough energy to light a 100 watt lightbulb for up to 6 hours.

What are they made from?

Can you find at least ten different items you can recycle?

Can you recognise anything you have at home?

Their heads are made from plastic milk bottles - they do say owners and their dogs start can look alike!

Why are they good recyclers?

They recycle all their newspapers, cardboard and magazines- every year in the UK, a forest the size of Wales is cut down to supply our paper needs.

They recycle all their tin cans and drink cans.

They recycle all their plastic bottles and foil.

They recycle their plastic bottle tops separately so that the plastic bottles can be easily crushed.

They always remember not to put carrier bags and thin film in their recycling bin.

At home they collect glass bottles and larger recyclable items to take to the bottle bank or their local Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC).

The 3R's song - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

(To the tune of "Three Blind Mice")

Verse One: Reggie Reduce, Reggie Reduce, Saves the planet, saves the planet He grows his own veg and he lags his pipes, He makes his own compost and rides his bike, He mends all that’s broken and makes it alright, Reggie Reduce

Verse Two: Rosie Reuse, Rosie Reuse Saves the Earth, saves the Earth, Everything she is made from’s been used before, She gets all her materials from the scrapstore, She orders her milk and it’s left at her door, Rosie Reuse

Verse Three: Robin Recycle, Robin Recycle Saves the world, saves the world, She recycles her cardboard and cans and plastic, She collects all her bottles- she’s really fantastic, Don’t send them to landfill …quot;it really is drastic, Robin Recycle