Buxton school bans single use plastic in a bid to become a more sustainable place of learning

Buxton Community School plastic free status, Derek Bodey and Frances Sussex of Transition Buxton congratulate the school's Climate Action Group. Pic Jason Chadwick

Students from Buxton Community School’s Climate Change group decided they wanted to do more than just talk about the problems surrounding the school - they wanted to bring about change.

The girls, from Years 7 and 9, have banned single use plastic bottles being sold in school and made it mandatory for pupils to bring in a reusable bottle every day.

Teacher Vicki Booth leads the climate change group.

She said: “I am unbelievably pleased and incredibly proud to see how hard these students have worked to bring about a positive change for the whole school.

“With a school of more than 1,000 students and with some people purchasing multiple bottles of drink every day we were creating thousands of bottles of waste plastic every day.

“The litter was becoming a problem and the students decided that enough was enough and wanted it to stop.”

After discussing with the school finance department the team realised there was not enough money to pay for new water machines so the girls wrote to the Bingham Trust asking for a donation and they successfully received £1,000.

The PTA then fundraised for the remaining £700.

Vicki said: “The water machines were used at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games so it’s great to see them being given another lease of life here in the school.”

There are three new water machines in the school’s dining rooms and one in the PE department.

Vicki said: “Some of the students didn’t want to lose their flavoured water but we held assemblies and worked with Transition Buxton and made people see that so many single use plastic bottles were bad for the environment.”On Saturday April, 29 two sixth form students hosted a teen clothes swap shop.

Vicki said: “It was nice to have something in school which not only allows students to walk away with some new clothes but step away from the fast fashion they may be used to.

“It’s nice to see all these projects popping up and just goes to show that anyone can bring about change and the small actions add up to a big difference.”