Children from Swansea schools, together with their teachers, enjoyed an inspiring day at the Green Economy Conference & Exhibition 2025 at Swansea Arena on 13 November. The event, organised by 4theRegion, brought together business leaders, policymakers and innovators to explore how Wales is building a cleaner, greener, more resilient economy.
As part of a special session on careers and jobs, the young learners explored the exhibition’s interactive stands and heard from professionals working in pioneering green businesses. One company that particularly captured their imagination was Natural UK, a Welsh firm behind the NappiCycle system—a groundbreaking nappy-recycling process that recovers cellulose and plastic from used nappies.
Pupils were fascinated to learn how what seems like everyday waste can be transformed into valuable materials—cellulose fibre and plastic—that are recycled into new products instead of going to landfill. Teachers said the example gave students a vivid, real-world connection to how science, engineering and environmental awareness can feed into future green jobs.
Many pupils expressed that they now see real opportunities for building careers in sustainability—from waste innovation and circular economy businesses to recycling technology—and that this experience has inspired them to think about how they can help shape a greener Wales.
