During the school holidays, the Shanghai Roots & Shoots Dragon Recycling Project teamed up with the Chang'er and Guangqi communities to organize several exciting family eco-trips. Dozens of families transformed into "eco-detectives", stepping out of the classroom to visit real environmental facilities. Through field visits and fun games, kids and parents discovered the city's "green recycling code" together.
Waste to Treasure: The Rebirth of Garbage
The little detectives visited two waste treatment centers in Jiading District.
At the Shanghai Solid Waste Disposal Center, staff explained how landfills work. The kids learned that most trash never fully disappears in nature, which strengthened their goal to live a zero waste life.
Next, at the Jiading Renewable Energy Company, the focus shifted to turning trash into treasure. After watching a video about the city's trash problem, the kids were amazed to see a massive garbage mountain through a giant glass window. They were even more surprised to learn that burning this trash safely can generate enough green electricity for 150,000 homes every day! The facility also featured a fun interactive area with bike generators and a trash-sorting claw machine, showing that modern environmental technology can be both smart and fun.
From Dirty to Clean: Water's Amazing Journey
The water cycle was another main theme of the trips. The families visited the Nanxiang Water Ecological Park and the Jiading New City Sewage Treatment Plant.
At the Nanxiang Water Ecological Park, they learned about its exquisite design: a beautiful park and museum on top, and a huge wastewater treatment system hidden underground. Inside the museum, kids used touchscreens and microscopes to learn about aquatic plants and tiny planktons.
The Shanghai Jiading New Town Wastewater Treatment Plant brought a more direct experience. At the water inlet, the strong, stinky smell of wastewater surprised the kids. They learned this was just the first step of cleaning. Following the whole process, they eventually scooped up the treated water and found it was crystal clear. To prove it was safe, the kids even fed fish swimming happily in a pond filled entirely with this recycled water!
Planting "Green Seeds" in the Heart
On the bus ride home, the little detectives enthusiastically shared what they had learned, using their "mission cards" to answer questions. One parent happily said, "Seeing the whole process of trash treatment and water purification up close really showed us the value of recycling. We learned so much that isn't in textbooks!"
These holiday eco-trips gave the children much more than just answers on a card. By seeing the fire that burns the trash and the clear water that comes from waste, ordinary facts became lively, real-world lessons. The city's "green recycling code" is now taking root in the hearts of more families.
Special Thanks to: Chang'er Community Changning District, Guangqi Community Huangpu District, Nanxiang Water Ecological Park, Shanghai Solid Waste Disposal Center, Shanghai Jiading Renewable Energy Company, and Shanghai Jiading New Town Wastewater Treatment Plant