Schoolchildren across Essex raised more than £3,700 for their schools by donating more than nine tonnes of old clothes to be recycled.

East Anglian Daily Times: Schoolchildren across Essex took part in a recycling competition, won by pupils of Rickling Primary, near Saffron Walden. Picture: PAUL STARRSchoolchildren across Essex took part in a recycling competition, won by pupils of Rickling Primary, near Saffron Walden. Picture: PAUL STARR (Image: PAUL STARR Photographer)

A competition run by Bag2School, in partnership with Recycle for Essex, saw 37 schools take part – with winning school, Rickling Primary, near Saffron Walden, collecting the equivalent of 2.57kg of clothes per pupil.

The school won a free ‘upcycling’ session, run by local artist Connie Flynn, during which they learned how old fabric can be used to make new items, and had a go at using old clothes to make patchwork art.

Each Essex household throws away the equivalent of 36 woolly jumpers each year, but recycling clothes and textiles is becoming easier, with many districts and boroughs offering kerbside collections, recycling centres accepting textiles, and textile banks located all around the county.

To find out more, visit recycleforessex.com.

East Anglian Daily Times: Schoolchildren across Essex took part in a recycling competition, won by pupils of Rickling Primary, near Saffron Walden. Picture: PAUL STARRSchoolchildren across Essex took part in a recycling competition, won by pupils of Rickling Primary, near Saffron Walden. Picture: PAUL STARR (Image: PAUL STARR Photographer)