Selby High School awarded Eco Champions Mark
We are delighted to announce that Selby High School has been awarded the Eco Champion Mark in recognition of the work we have delivered on health and wellbeing issues and tackling plastic pollution.
The School was awarded the North East Eco Champion Mark in recognition of the work delivered through our campaign to eradicate single-use plastics.
All students were provided with a re-usable water bottle as part of their school equipment, which was a simple, but effective way to make an impact as previously 114,000 bottles of water and juice were supplied annually at lunchtimes.
Plastic food wrappings were switched for bio-degradable alternatives and plastic and disposable cutlery and containers were changed for crockery and metal cutlery. To make the dining experience more pleasant and to improve health and wellbeing at the school a covered canopy was installed to allow students to eat outdoors no matter the weather.
Organisations earn the Eco Champion accreditation for projects that make their community safer, cleaner or greener.
Eco Champion spokesman Simon Dolby said:
The enthusiasm and passion of Selby High School pupils and staff to reduce the use of plastics at the school is fantastic. The work delivered has helped raise awareness of the practical measures individuals and organisations can take on green issues. The school thoroughly deserves Eco Champion status and pupils and staff should be commended for the impact they have delivered.
We will now go forward to the national finals of Eco Champions later in the year.
Eco Champion fact-file
- Eco Champion categories are designed to be broad enough to cover a wide spectrum of initiatives involving business, community groups or schools and colleges.
- For 2020, nominations can be education or campaigning in nature; physical structures or innovations; community projects.
- Safer: This can include projects that improve road safety skills, reduce fire risk or cut anti-social behaviour.
- Cleaner: Schemes that boost recycling levels, reduce fly-tipping or community litter picks.
- Greener: This covers green travel, as well as initiatives to boost health and wellbeing such as projects linked to physical exercise and healthy eating.
- Administered by Streetspace Group, nominations are independently scrutinised, with all winners of the accreditation going before a judging panel to crown a number of overall UK champions each year.
