Pupils help recycle dumped polystyrene bodyboards

Karl Fice-Thomson, who explores rockpools, said he was finding little polystyrene balls "absolutely everywhere"

School pupils have helped deconstruct dozens of the discarded and broken polystyrene bodyboards for them to be safely recycled.

More than 40 children at Newquay Junior Academy and volunteers took part in the workshop called Bodyboard Breakdown.

Karl Fice-Thomson, who runs rockpool tours, said about 17,000 bodyboards had been collected from beaches in Newquay in 2024.

"When I'm shining my UV torch in the rockpools, I'm seeing all the remnants of these little polystyrene balls absolutely everywhere," he said.

The project was organised by the town council's Newquay Clean working party

Mayor of Newquay Drew Creek said this year the community came together to reinstate bodyboard recycling stations in the town.

"Now, we're taking the next logical step," he said.

"By educating our children and engaging with retailers, we are attacking this problem at its source.

"We are determined to cease the sale of these environmentally destructive polystyrene boards, which are not only harmful to our ecosystem, but are also unsafe in Newquay's often ferocious riding conditions."

Alana, a pupil at the school, said: "It makes me think some people don't really care about the climate and they don't dispose things."

The project was organised by the town council's Newquay Clean working party.