• Login
  • Join Us
Royal Geographical Society with IBG
  • About us
  • Geography
  • Schools
  • Professionals
  • In the field
  • Research
  • What's on

Search the Society

Enter keyword or phrase...
Find
Royal Geographical Society with IBG
Back to Competitions

School Essay Competition

A joint competition run by the Society and the Financial Times.

  • Overview
  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy statement
  • 2021 competition
  • 2020 competition
  • 2019 competition

2022 competition 

What are the environmental costs of current consumer trends, behaviours and purchasing decisions?

The 2022 Essay Competition, organised in partnership with the Financial Times, is asking students to explain what are the environmental costs of current consumer trends, behaviours and purchasing decisions.

We have provided links to FT resources as a starting point (see below), but we expect you to undertake your own research to find a wider range of articles and data. We recommend looking for additional FT content to back up your arguments. Investigate the main question by focusing on one of the following sub-themes. Do not try to cover more than one sub-theme. You may make passing references to the sub-themes you have not chosen, but only if such references are brief and relevant to your chosen theme.

Sub-themes:

  1. The environmental cost of online purchase returns

    • Goods returned by US consumers surged 78% in 2021

    • Customer returns hit retailer profits but boost shipping companies

  2. The popularity of (and possible problems with) recycled plastics as a component of new clothing/fashion items

    • Fashion boom in recycled plastic comes with a price tag

  3. The problem of e-waste, including the speed of obsolescence and replacement timescales for electronics goods

    • Electronic waste — what can designers do?

 

The competition closes on Monday 3 October 2022, 5.00pm. Entries will not be accepted after this time.

 

The judges are looking for:

  • A clear essay or ArcGIS StoryMap which is well-evidenced and reaches a clear conclusion

  • Submissions that do not exceed 1,000 words (excluding references)

  • Referenced sources of information and data

  • Submissions which are the entrant’s own work and relevant to the title and guidance

 

You can find further information about sustainability and environmental issues using the Society's and FT for Schools online resources

  • Financial Times FT Free subscription for schools

  • Society's school resources

 

The competition is open to all A Level geography students (or equivalent) aged 16-18.

All entries must be submitted using the online application form and upload system, using the same format file name/type requirements specified on the online application form. We will not accept any entries by email. If you need any assistance, please contact eduadmin@rgs.org

Entrants' names and school names must not be written anywhere on submitted entries.

Please read our terms & conditions carefully before entering.

Enter now

 

The Society is running this competition in partnership with the Financial Times as part of its education programme to support geography teachers and their pupils. Your school can become a School Member of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), and you and your pupils can join as an Associate Fellow/Fellow or Student respectively.

The winning essay will be published in Routes Journal. 

Featured image: PxHere

The Financial Times for schools programme

Find out more

Terms & conditions

  Enter now

Login

Sign in
Forgotten password

Or continue as a guest...

By placing a booking, you are permitting us to store and use your (and any other attendees) details in order to fulfil the booking.
We will not use your details for marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

Continue

This content is restricted

You must be a member holding a valid Society membership to view the content you are trying to access. Please login to continue.

 

Not a member? Find out how to join

Join us today, Society membership is open to anyone with a passion for geography

Find out more

Address

Royal Geographical Society
(with the Institute of British Geographers),
1 Kensington Gore,
London, SW7 2AR

Please note that we currently have limited access to post. If possible, please phone or email us instead.

Registered Charity, 208791

E enquiries@rgs.org

T +44 (0)20 7591 3000
 

Follow us

We are the learned society for geography and geographers. Be part of our community by following us on our social media accounts.

  • twitter
  • youtube
  • linkedin
  • facebook
  • instagram

Links

  • MYSOCIETY LOGIN
    Vacancies
    PRESS AND MEDIA
    HIRE OUR VENUE
    PRIVACY NOTICE
    Accessibility
    SITE MAP

  •  

Cookies on the RGS website This site uses cookies to enhance your user experience.