Yarm School

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 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 of the project 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 changeand 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.”

NEWS RELEASE: ISSUED ON BEHALF OF YARM SCHOOL

For further information contact Caroline Walker on 01325 363436

Editor’s Notes:

Yarm School, a co-educational day school, is situated in the attractive and historic town of Yarm on a beautiful stretch of the River Tees. It was established in 1978 to provide high quality education for pupils aged 11 to 18. It has its own Preparatory School for boys and girls aged 7 to 10, a Pre-Prep for boys and girls aged four to six years and a Nursery for three-year-olds.

www.yarmschool.org