Beauparc launch Education VR in Parliament

Background 

Sustainability and education training has alwasy been a significant part of the social value offering throughout the Beauparc network of companies. 

Ensuring all stakeholders understand the journey of their waste once it is collected plays a critical role when looking to improve recycling standards. 

During the pandemic, the level of face-to-face engagement with schools and colleges had to stop. Our challenge was to ensure that if similar circumstances reoccured we could maintain the delivery of sustainability training and education. We also wanted to ensure the delivery of this course was as inclusive as possible. 

The Project 

Whilst zoom and Teams calls were a solution to continue the training, they lack an element of scale and visualisation. 

So, during 2021 we set to work to develop a fully immersive, AI intuitive virtual reality (VR) platform that was completely unique within this industry sector. 

Based on the dry mixed recycling and plastic recycling recovery facility in Barkston, the VR education course was developed. 

True to scale, the VR tour enables the user to free tour or complete the in-built education challenge, presenting them with real-life footage and a completion certificate at the end. 

The education tour also features a full circular message, demonstrating the technology used to extract material and it’s onward journey back into the manufacturing chain.

The Launch

On the 18th May, the Beauparc team was invited to launch the VR project in the Houses of Parliament.

The VR project was presented to the Minister for DEFRA, The Rt Hon Jo Churchill MP and the Minister for Schools, The Rt Hon Robin Walker MP as well as many other cross party MP’s.

Both ministers and MP’s engaged with the education VR and commented on the realism, and scale of the platform.

It was noted how this solution would answer many of the questions that are currently fielded through their constituency offices from schools and colleges relating to sustainability.

Additionally, the technology now lends itself to other areas of the business such as recruitment, new starter onboarding, health and safety and hazardous awareness and perception.

[Pictured – L to R – Chris Mountain, Lotty Wiltshaw, Alyson Andrew, Rosie Wilkinson, Mike Robinson, Mick Ashall]