Eco Girl and rapping robot cost £28k

A council in the Black Country spent £27,880 in three years on superhero-themed plays about recycling and rapping robots who sing about the environment.

Sandwell Council arranged for 130 sessions involving Eco Girl and the Recycling Rapping Robot in schools to teach youngsters about the environment.

A total of 14,000 children sat watching Eco Girl tell them to look after the planet while 12,000 sang along with Recycler the robot about the need to "reduce, reuse, recycle" since 2006.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed neighbouring Walsall Council only used the robot 10 times and Eco Girl eight times over the same period.

Sandwell's opposition Conservative group leader Councillor Tony Ward said that the £27,880 could have been better spent and added that teachers should be the ones to tell youngsters about the environment.

He said: "I think it's a bit of a gimmick. We seem to be getting away from the basics of teaching and I can't see why we need to spend this much on actors dressing up as superheroes to tell children why they should recycle.

"They should just do this in the classroom."

Julia Bridgett, waste disposal manager for Sandwell Council, said: "From seeing the shows, pupils are encouraged to pass the positive messages onto their families at home.

"In addition, the shows raise awareness with their teachers and they continue the message through specific lessons and project work.

"The feedback from the shows by both the teachers and children has been very positive.

"The Recycler show leaves workbooks for the pupils themed on the show."

She said 14,000 had seen Eco Girl at a cost of £1.58 each while 12,000 have met Recycler at a cost of 48p each.

The biggest spend was in 2007 and 2008 when 50 schools received a visit from Eco Girl at a cost of £16,000.

The recycling robot cost £1,400 for 20 visits a year between 2006 and 2008 but the cost more than doubled in the last financial year, with £3,000 charged for 20 sessions.

Walsall Council used Eco Girl in eight primary schools in March 2007, spending a total of £2,400.

The council has used Recycler the robot in November 2007 and June 2008 and had budgeted £1,400 to use it again up until the end of the financial year, in April 2010.