Yarm Prep School Achieves Plastic Free Schools Status

Yarm Prep School has been awarded ‘Plastic Free Schools Status’ following a legacy project devised by the 2020-21 School Captains.

They were challenged to create a scheme that would mark their time at the School and chose making it a single use plastic free environment.

An action plan was formulated for the elimination of single use plastic, including raising awareness of its use throughout the School, organising litter picks, challenging local North East supermarkets to consider their packaging and writing to local MPs to ask about their sustainability plans, such as recycling and a deposit scheme on bottles.

As a result, the School now uses paper straws, compostable food packaging and cling wrap, and reusable catering aprons and cups.

In the UK it is estimated that five million tonnes of plastic is used every year, nearly half of which is packaging. The UK produces more plastic waste per person than almost any other country, and it is estimated that each person uses a staggering 18 single-use plastic plates and 37 single-use plastic items of cutlery each year.

Plastic Free Schools Status is a pupil-led programme which equips young activists to speak to power, create positive, lasting environmental change and eliminate unnecessary single-use plastics for good. It is managed by the organisation Surfers Against Sewage.

Headmaster at Yarm Prep School Bill Sawyer said: “Sarah, Luca, Ava, Noah, Amelie and Alfie have created a lasting legacy from their time at the Prep School. It is a project that will have meaningful and sustainable benefits, to both the School and to the environment.

“We aim to give our pupils the opportunity to engage with activities that are interesting to them, and hopefully have an enduring and positive effect on the School, their fellow pupils and the wider world.

“This has certainly been achieved and I am proud to be a plastic free school and we will all pledge to continue the good work started by our 2020 captains.”