Today marks the 44th annual World Environment Day, a day to celebrate all that is done to protect, sustain and rebuild our ecosystems and environment. It is a day when the world has the opportunity to look at the state of the world and say ‘what can we do about it?’.
Around the world, people are encouraged to challenge the way things are. This year’s host is India, a country which produces more than 8 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. The theme of today’s W.E.D is, for this reason, to beat plastic pollution.
Closer to home, Shiplake’s Human Resources Manager Moya Flynn often enrols the help of her dog to collect plastic and glass bottles wherever they go! This is just one example of the small things we can all do to take care of our planet and clean up the eco-system for the flora and fauna that we depend on.
Shiplake’s caterers, Thomas Franks Ltd, also have several brilliant initiatives to ensure that the waste produced by our pupils’ consumption is disposed of responsibly. By separating all paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, food and general waste, the catering staff at the College now recycle more than twice as much waste than is sent to landfill. Around 800kg of food and biodegradable waste is collected weekly, which is then used for compost and fertilisers among other things. On top of this, Thomas Franks Ltd also ensure their waste oil is recycled. They even make use of the used coffee grounds, which can be used as a fertiliser!
The School has also seen an increase in reusable plastic cups at mealtimes. This means that the School is using far less single-use plastic, one of the main contributors to landfill.
Elsewhere in the School, Lower School Matron Marion Cousins ensures that she and her boys recycle everything they can, from plastic tubs to glass jars. All the while, Head of Modern Languages Mrs Parrott says ‘As a routine, if I see a teaching room with a light on and no-one in it, I always switch it off! Sounds simple but makes a difference!’
At the end of the last summer holiday, 160 solar photovoltaic modules (solar panels) were installed on the Sports Hall roof. To date, these cells have produced 19,168kWh of energy, equating to a saving of about £2,000!
Finally, the Admissions Department have been able to reduce their paper use significantly. By encouraging parents to fill in paperwork online, Hayley and Esther have saved approximately 2,150 sheets of paper and 1,000 envelopes each year, and have further plans to reduce the School’s paper consumption by a further 4,000 annually.
