Titchmarsh schoolgirl's eco-friendly lockdown campaign to declutter and reduce inflatables waste is no letdown

A green-campaigning Titchmarsh schoolgirl has been inspired to collect popped pools, broken bouncy castles and unwanted inflatables to save them from being dumped in landfill sites.

Bronte Cooper wanted to do something worthwhile during lockdown and is now taking part in Wyatt and Jack’s Inflatable Amnesty - a scheme to transform unwanted and broken toys into bags and accessories.

The 12-year-old Year 7 pupil at Southfield School for Girls in Kettering has set out to make a positive difference in a different way to her twin sister Willow, who has been running every day for Kettering General Hospital's Special Care Baby Unit. Mum Naomi said: "We have had two paddling pools pop so far this year, both during lockdown. The tips have been closed and then we remembered about a shop we saw in Ryde on the Isle of Wight when we were on holiday that sells funky bags and purses made of old inflatables.

"Bronte is always helping with the recycling and so we thought we could collect other people's broken airbeds and pools and stop them from going to landfill."

Wyatt and Jack, based on the Isle of Wight, up-cycles old paddling pools, broken bouncy castles, punctured beach balls, old pram covers, arm bands, air beds and even deck chair material into sustainable funky bags, purses and other accessories.

Bronte said: "If you have redundant inflatables, I can sort and package them off to Wyatt and Jack, to help prevent it all ending up as waste in landfill.

"They have to be dry and not mouldy but they don't have to be that clean. I want to collect as many as I can."

Naomi said: "People who would like to declutter their sheds and gardens can give the old inflatables to us. I'm sure there will be a few more broken inflatables over the next few days with the hot weather."

The company does not accept rubber footballs, space hoppers, yoga balls, wetsuits, swim caps, plastic shower curtains, helium balloons or rubber gloves.

If you have a punctured inflatable, contact Bronte’s mum Naomi via [email protected] to arrange for drop off or collection, and check out the up-cycled bags on Wyatt and Jack Inflatables Amnesty.A message from the Editor: Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper when you do your weekly shop.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you