Developing the public understanding of the science and engineering of sustainable waste management

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Sustainable waste management can make a major contribution to reducing energy consumption and hence greenhouse gas emissions, and to resource conservation. However, the approach must be rational and scientific, and messages to the public must be clear and unequivocal. Public understanding of the science and principles behind sustainable waste management is essential if they are to play their part; raising awareness of the scientific basis of waste management will also help to persuade able and committed individuals to enter the industry. The 21st World Scout Jamboree will be held at Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex in the summer of 2007. It will mark the centenary of scouting and will be attended by over 40,000 scouts and organisers from almost every country in the world. For two weeks, the Jamboree site will be the second largest town in Essex, and the event represents an immense opportunity to educate tomorrow's leaders in the need for, and the science and engineering behind, the responsible management of waste. This proposal aims to develop a range of activities and materials for use at the 2007 World Scout Jamboree that will help convey an understanding of the science and engineering that underpin sustainable waste management. We will also use this experience as a feasibility study for the development of further materials and activities that can be used in a similar way at other large scale events (e.g. music festivals) of this nature.