Ermington Primary reduces waste and goes green!

Participation in Resource Futures' Waste Education Programme helps a school gain the prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag award.

Overview

Ermington Primary School, in Ermington South Hams, received its Eco-Schools Green Flag award during the summer term in 2010, having benefited from the input of Resource Futures' Waste Education programme, funded by Devon County Council.

Ermington Primary School began their waste reduction campaign with Resource Futures in February 2009 when the Eco Club took part in a waste audit. The results from this audit showed that the school sent 23 kg of waste a day to landfill; 83% of this was food waste.

Educating pupils and teachers

The Resource Futures education officer helped them look at how the recycling system at the school could be improved (more collection points) and left them with some action points on educating the whole school about the importance of the 3Rs.

As a follow up to the waste audit the lead adult at the school, Marie Lord, (who was also a school governor and parent helper) liaised with South Hams District Council to implement a better recycling system, where all areas had a recycling bin. In May 2009 all classes at the school had input in the form of curriculum-linked workshops from Resource Futures as part of their environment week.

Composting

On the advice of a Resource Futures’ education officer, the school successfully applied for a ‘cutting your waste line grant’ in order to fund composting equipment and coach travel to a local landfill site.

Year 3 visited the landfill site in the summer term. They were also informed of other schemes that the school could take part in such as Eco-Schools.

In Autumn 2009, Ermington Primary were offered the opportunity to take part in the Composting in Schools project which was open to all primary schools in the Ivybridge Local Learning Community.

As composting was one of the issues identified in the waste audit action plan that the Resource Future education officer helped them develop, they were very keen to take part in this scheme and were provided with two Joras and two Scotties Hot boxes to begin composting  in the Spring term of 2010. Marie Lord received training from the ‘Composting in Schools Officer’ (Dawn Neil from Resource Futures) on how to operate the composting system and collection caddies were set up at points around the school so that fruit waste could be composted. A caddy was also set up in the dinner hall for packed lunch food waste and plate scrapings.

Results

In March 2010 Ermington Primary had their second waste audit with Resource Futures and the Eco Club. The results showed that, thanks to the improved recycling system in all areas of the school, the new composting system and the general awareness at the school for the 3Rs, they had achieved a 82% reduction in waste going to landfill. Between 18/01/2010 and 25/05/2010 the total amount of food waste composted was 1178.79kg

Following  their waste reduction work with Resource Futures as part of the Waste Education Programme and Composting Project, and other environmental work over the previous year, in the summer term 2010 the school was successfully assessed for the Eco-Schools Green Flag award.