Police riot shields that are no longer in use are being transformed into greenhouses by a South Wales police force, for use by local schools, community groups and charities.

Police riot shields, which are non-recyclable, have a limited shelf life. Once expired, the shields are replaced and the old ones are discarded as waste and sent to landfill.

The idea to transform police riot shields into greenhouses came to PC Richard Thomas of South Wales Police, who could not bear to see the non-recyclable plastics head to landfill after being asked to dispose of a pile of old shields during lockdown.

PC Richard Thomas said: “It’s good to see this idea develop into something that will benefit others and I’ll be happy to be hands on in building this project further. These shields would have gone to landfill otherwise and as a force, it’s important that we do what we can to contribute to greener and more sustainable solutions and I’m glad to be a part of it in this way.”

Around 200 shields have now been donated to schools and other organisations in the form of greenhouses, according to the BBC.

Image Source: South Wales Police

Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living.