Micronclean Hosts Second CLEAN Award with Local Schools

Aimed at engaging Key Stage 4 students across Lincolnshire, the CLEAN Award helps young people explore the connections between business, nature and plastic use. Pupils from three local schools took part in a packed day of hands-on learning and problem solving.

The event began with a beach clean at Skegness using the Marine Conservation Society’s citizen science survey, where students collected over 1,400 pieces of litter in just 30 minutes. The day continued with a visit to Micronclean’s facilities to learn about the role of plastics in contamination control, followed by a session with Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust on environmental impacts and material innovation.

The day concluded with a fast-paced Hackathon, where teams developed creative, sustainable alternatives to plastic – from plant-based materials to dissolvable packaging – and pitched their ideas to a panel of judges.

Vicki Bush, Senior Education and Community Officer at Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, said:

“The students' enthusiasm and ideas were inspiring. Their understanding of waste and innovative solutions was impressive – a fantastic event to be part of.”

Debbie Boon, Enterprise Coordinator at The Careers Hub, added:

“This year’s event was even stronger. It gave students real-world insight into sustainability, while also developing vital teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.”

Sophie Harris, QSHE & HR Director at Micronclean, commented:

“The CLEAN Award continues to go from strength to strength. We’re proud to support local students and are already planning for an even bigger event next year.”

The CLEAN awards are one of the local engagement elements of Micronclean’s wider Microngreen initiative. Microngreen is Micronclean’s sustainability program with a single overarching aim: we want Micronclean to be ‘the most sustainable specialist textile and cleanroom consumable business on the planet'.