Scrap Heap Challenge for a Cleaner Future

A volunteer engineer from Elddis has helped Blackfyne School, Consett win a scrap separation challenge to support a national initiative into recycling steel.

An innovative project commissioned by the Derwenside District Council challenged local schools to build model size cars, trailers and cranes that could separate scrap steel from household waste to be recycled.

Derwentside Engineering Forum ran the challenge by providing schools with the kits and materials to build the machinery and arranged for local member companies, including Elddis, to provide experienced mentors to assist the pupils in completing their task.


Tom Cathrae, Technical Support Manager from Elddis, was assigned to Blackfyne School as a mentor and made weekly visits to help with the construction of the vehicles. "The students took great pride in understanding how the components worked and fit together. 4 teams each containing 4 pupils learned not only how to build a remote control car, trailer and crane unit, but also how to manoeuvre the vehicles around a track.”


The culmination of the project was a regional competition day held at Derwentside College. One of the teams mentored by Tom from Blackfyne School ran out winners against teams representing Greencroft, Moorside, St Bedes, Stanley and Tanfield secondary schools. The top three teams were placed and the winners received vouchers to spend at the Metro Centre in Gateshead.

Elddis is a member of the Engineering Forum that helps to promote engineering as a profession and foster links with schools in the area. Click here for more information on the Derwentside Engineers Forum.

"It was great fun and in the process they are learning how to help the environment,” explains Tom. "I have signed up to help again next year.”

Derwentside District Council has recently tabled a proposal to integrate their successful introduction of environmentally friendly transportation with an automated scrap separation initiative. The Council estimate that over 20% of household and industrial waste in Derwentside is reusable steel that has previously gone to landfill sites. The Council are looking into a scheme whereby households could loan a small electric car and trailer in order to transport waste to recycling centres in order to replace existing larger waste skips.

Published: 26/04/2006