Plastic ban for green school
ASCHOOL is tackling one of the biggest threats to the environment.
Tytherington School, in Macclesfield, has pledged to be one of the first schools to stop using single-use plastics.
Staff announced the move and said they aim to ‘phase out’ the use of them by 2019.
The school has been working with catering supplier, Innovate, to find a range of initiatives to get the process underway and hope other schools will follow in their footsteps.
The move was the brainchild of a Year Seven environmental group ‘Tythy Goes Green’.
Six students from the group presented their idea to Headteacher Manny Botwe and members from the senior management of Innovate Catering, to outline what should be done to make Tytherington an environmentally friendly school.
The group then presented an assembly to fellow students to discuss what students and teachers could do to help.
The members of the group are: Tabitha Prager, Daisy Nixon, Taylor Hadfield, Elliot Martin, Esther Bird and Callum Beedon.
Since then the conscientious group have met once a week with staff members, Den Massett and Mel Stockdale, to discuss their ideas, including removal of plastic cutlery, straws, polystyrene boxes, and the introduction of reusable water bottles and coffee cups.
Mr Botwe said this initiative was all down to the work of his students.
He said: “We are dedicated to minimising the environmental impact of our activities and we want to play our part in reducing single-use plastics across the world. We shall be encourage all our suppliers, partners and associated organisations to help us to phase out their use at Tytherington School altogether. We are delighted that Innovate have supported and facili- tated us in our cause. A huge well done to the young people in the Tythy Goes Green group as this would not be happening at this point without them highlighting the issue to us.”
Esther Bird, in year seven said she is proud to be making a difference.
She added: “It’s incredible that the school has listened to the group - made up of year sevens and really made an effort to change for the better.
“We’re so excited to see where this might lead, and can’t wait for more decisions like this in the future.
“It’s great to know that it’s possible to make a big difference no matter how small you are.”