Welcome to our Eco Council web update page!

Below, you will find all the latest news and Eco events as well as links to some great eco websites and some interesting (and scary) facts about this term’s theme of waste.

Firstly, we are pleased to announce that we are proud owners of our

ECO-SCHOOLS BRONZE AWARD

We achieved this by completing a detailed audit of our school’s green performance and developing an action plan (see attached). We are already making really good progress towards achieving some of our goals, as you can see below:-

Waste/Recycling

This is a big focus for us this term. We are busy creating a recycling area in the playground and a composting area at the back of the school. Thanks to Mr Eggleton for all of his hard work. Look out for these as they come together in the coming weeks.

Energy

sMeasure energy tracking system
The school is one of 100 pilot sites taking part in an initiative organised by the Oxford Diocese to monitor and track our energy usage. As we record usage of both gas and electricity over the next few months using a web-based management tool, we will begin to understand more specifically where and how we can begin to make savings.

We are already introducing some energy saving measures to the school

• Powerdown adaptors on computer monitors in the ICT suite
• New draught proofing strips to reduce heat loss through doors
• Continuing to educate children and staff to be ‘light aware’ – turning off lights whenever possible.

Water

Rainwater butts 
We would like to introduce rainwater butts on downpipes around school. Can anyone help us to source these cheaply?

Toilets
As you are aware, we will soon be replacing the current toilet blocks. This will enable us to install toilets with more water-efficient flushing systems. In the meantime we will add some hippos to current toilet cisterns to reduce the volume of water used on each flush.

Great links to explore

www.jointhepod.org 
www.primarygames.com/holidays/earth_day/games/landfillbill/start.htm 
www.planetpals.com

Scary Waste Facts!

• • In the UK, households throw away over 29.1 million tonnes of waste. That's the same weight as 4.85 million male African Elephants!
  • Around 100 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year of which about 10 percent ends up in the sea. The trash vortex is an area the size of Texas in the North Pacific in which an estimated six kilos of plastic for every kilo of natural plankton, along with other slow degrading garbage, swirls slowly around like a clock, choked with dead fish, marine mammals, and birds who get snared. Some plastics in the vortex will not break down in the lifetimes of the grandchildren of the people who threw them away.
  • Many landfill sites around the world are now full.
  • Over 20,000 tonnes of batteries are sent to landfill site in the UK each year. It takes 50 times more energy to make a battery than it gives during its life.
  • Each day, we produce enough rubbish to fill Trafalgar Square to the height of Nelson's Column.
  • Each year, one person gets through 90 drink cans, 70 food cans, 107 bottles and jars and 45kg of plastic.
  • The UK uses about 12 billion cans each year - that's enough to stretch to the moon and back!
  • The average British family throws away 6 trees worth of paper in their household bin a year.
  • Every tonne of paper recycled saves 17 trees.
  • 25% of household waste is packaging and we throw £36 million worth of aluminium into landfill sites.
  • Five out of six glass bottles are thrown away.

Our Eco Council Members are: