Digital rewards for recycling old paper directories

Thursday 11 February 2016

In return for their efforts in helping JT collect and recycle last year’s Jersey directories, pupils from 21 schools will now benefit from having new technology in their classrooms thanks to JT’s Books for Tablets campaign.

Recycling the Jersey directories is a JT initiative that has been running in Jersey for 19 years and this year, JT’s Books for Tablets incentive ensured that participating schools helped to boost the collections held at parish halls, supermarkets and post-offices around the Island.

In total just over 5,000 directories have been collected by the participating schools this year and these will be shipped to the UK for recycling into new products.

The Books for Tablets scheme incentivises schools by offering a brand new Android tablet device for every 150 directories collected. A total of 47 tablet devices are being donated to schools this year.

As a reward for collecting over 1,100 directories, the most collected this year by one school, pupils from Helvetia House School have not only been rewarded with 8 tablets but they also get the chance to learn some new digital skills. One class has been invited to take part in an Augmented Reality Masterclass with Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) studio Pikcells. Co-founded by Jerseyman Steve Moone, Pikcells provides innovative interior and exterior CGI visualisations, animations and interactive content and their experts will be in Jersey to give the masterclass.

Lindsey Woodward, Headmistress at Helvetia House School, said: “We’re really delighted that all our pupils get rewarded with brand new JT Tablets in our classrooms and those who have been picked for the Masterclass are really looking forward to the opportunity. The entire school got involved in the project which helped to highlight the importance of recycling alongside our own green initiatives, and means we now have some new devices for all of our classrooms.”

JT’s Commercial Development Officer and past pupil of Helvetia, Jasmin Bisson presented the tablets to the school on Thursday 4 February at 9:10am.

She said: “I’m really proud to be returning to my old primary school to present them with the tablets in return for all their hard work in helping us to recycle old directories, they did really well to collect so many this year. Our Books for tablets initiative means that we can give-back to our community and encourage digital skills in the classroom by providing the technology to help more children learn the basics and get familiar with digital learning.”

Tamara O’Brien, Head of Marketing, Brand and Distribution at JT added: “As a responsible local business JT is committed to environmentally friendly initiatives and as our successful directory recycling programme heads into its 20^th year, I’m really proud of what we have achieved. Not only has it meant recycling a few hundred tons of paper waste to create new products, but we have also been able to bring our green commitments together with our commitment to supporting our local community through rewarding a number of Island schools for their involvement. It is a real pleasure to see how the donation of tablets to Helvetia is making a difference and for the 20^th year we’re calling upon the community to once again collect old directories and help us to continue to make a difference.”

The 2016 JT Directory will be distributed by JT’s partner Jersey Post at the beginning of April and the recycling campaign to gather old editions will begin once again in partnership with The Channel Islands Co-Operative Society, Jersey Post and Island schools.