PUPILS at a Welwyn Garden City primary school were taught more about the three Rs, although there was no reading, writing or arithmetic in sight.

For it was the waste management version of the three Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle – that was in the mind of the youngsters at Templewood School on a visit to Mitsubishi Electric.

The group of 29 pupils had gone to the manufacturing firm, in Travellers Lane, Hatfield, to learn the importance of reducing energy use in their everyday lives, re-using things wherever possible and recycling to help reduce carbon emissions.

Mitsubishi Electric organiser Jenny Maskrey played class teacher for the event and explained how important it was for everyone to think about the energy they use.

The Templewood pupils discovered how photovoltaic panels used solar energy to reduce electricity consumption and also investigated how air source heat pumps could provide heating in winter.

They also recycled their drinking cups, making them into bird feeders and visited the company’s special wormery, where kitchen waste is recycled.

Mitsubishi Electric markets renewable heating and power-generating equipment to the construction industry, and also makes its renewable training centre available to schools studying renewable energy as part of the curriculum.

The visit had been arranged by Ian Pottinger, who works for TSG Building Services, a Mitsubishi Accredited Heating Partner.

He was keen to involve his son Jack’s school as soon as he heard about the programme.

Mr Pottinger said: “We supply and install renewable technologies and I find it truly inspiring to see the number of people who are keen to engage in this field, once they understand its importance.

“Mitsubishi deserves a lot of praise for making this resource available to local schools. If we can capture a child’s interest at an early age, in time they will become much better stewards of their world and help to influence their families too.”