Pupils take action over street litter
Equipped with litter pickers and gold bags, pupils from schools across Bath and North East Somerset have been taking to the streets to tidy up their neighbourhoods in support of the council’s Clean and Green campaign.
Pupils at the Royal High School took part in a litter pick as part of a school Sustainability Week that was organised by the student-run Green Team. Between them, four groups of students collected eight bags full of litter from the streets around Lansdown including Circus Mews, Sion Hill and Lansdown Crescent.
More recently, Paulton Junior School’s Eco Club organised a litter pick to tidy up the area around the school. The club includes representatives from every class, so the event involved volunteers from the whole school. Some 14 pupils took part and tackled the litter in areas including Paulton Memorial Park, Elm Road, Mendip Close and High Park.
The pupils from Bathwick St Mary’s Church Primary School collected six bags of litter during their litter pick.
The class split into two groups and collected litter around the Bathwick estate and the canal footpath leading up to the school.
Mrs Mchugh, teacher of the Year 4 class at St Mary’s, said: “Our pupils all tackled the litter pick with great
enthusiasm and commitment on the day. They all understand the impact that litter can have and the threat to wildlife and are keen to do something about it. They enjoyed being able to serve and help our local community.”
Litter pickers were offered to all primary schools across B&NES as part of the council’s Clean and Green campaign. So far 29 schools have responded, and 277 litter pickers have been given out.
Cllr David Wood, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “It’s rewarding to see the pupils taking practical action to deal with the issue of litter and the harm and pollution it can cause to the local environment.
“It is a good message for us all to remember to use the bins and not drop litter in the street and to help to keep our streets looking their best for residents and visitors.”
Any schools wanting to organise their own event can contact the Clean and Green team by emailing Cleanandgreen@bathnes.gov.uk. n Bath residents may have caught sight of the council’s newest fleet member - an electric sweeper – that has been out and about cleaning the streets in central Bath.
The vehicle is capable of speeds up to 40km/hr and can last up to nine hours on a full charge, but more importantly it boasts zero emissions
and it’s quieter than the current diesel models.
The council is expecting delivery of a second model shortly that will also be able to wash and scrub the pavements to remove dirt and grime.
Cllr Wood said: “As a council we have recognised the climate emergency and are taking action to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
“We are moving to electric vehicles wherever possible for our waste, recycling and cleansing operations as part of a move to help reach our target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030 and these two vehicles join the other seven electric vans and six electric bikes already in our fleet.”