Why some Chinese primary pupils need to return empty milk cartons for school homework
- This eco-minded assignment is creating a second-hand market for these Tetra Pak containers
What has created a thriving second-hand market for milk containers in China?
What has created a thriving second-hand market for milk containers in China?
Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Some primary schools in China have required pupils to hand in empty milk cartons. This has created a thriving second-hand market for these containers.
People are selling their empty Tetra Pak milk boxes on China’s second-hand e-commerce platform Xianyu. It is run by Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post.
The behaviour initially sparked curiosity. But some parents revealed that the market was created by their children’s primary schools, which require pupils to submit empty milk boxes as homework. They said the assignment was aimed at raising awareness about environmental protection.
A primary school in China’s Zhejiang province even set up a contest. Pupils who submitted the most milk boxes got a free tour of a recycling factory.
On mainland social media, some people also said they had to drink extra milk to finish their children’s assignments.
Some criticised the schools for not considering each student’s circumstances.
Suggested answer: Some schools are requiring pupils to bring in empty milk cartons to recycle.