WESSEX WATERMARK AWARD SUPPORTS POOLE GRAMMAR SCHOOL’S RE-USABLE BOTTLE CAMPAIGN

“DON’T throw it, just REFILL it!” is Poole Grammar School’s message to the wider community.  The school’s campaign to reduce plastic waste and replace plastic drinking bottles with re-usable bottles has received a £500 Wessex Watermark Award. Meghan Upton from Wessex Water will present the school with their Award on Tuesday 3rd July.

‘Drive down single use plastic bottles’ is the title of Poole Grammar School’s campaign to reduce plastic use in their school. The school has introduced recycling bins to the dining room and their present campaign, thought up by the school’s Green/food for Life Committee, is to promote re-usable water bottles branded with the school crest. Appropriately given the state of our seas the crest shows a dolphin and three scallop shells.

“We are determined to make a difference to the school community by reducing our consumption of plastic waste.” Jonathan Stiby, Bursar and Chair of the School’s Green Committee said. “After the impact of David Attenborough’s Blue Planet programme there was a palpable reaction amongst the staff and students for us to do something practical to reduce single-use plastics that the school used and threw away. We want to do what we can to minimise this horrendous environmental issue.”

“We already have numerous water fountains around the school and will be promoting the re-usable water bottles across our school community. Meanwhile by segregating single use plastic bottles waste and recording their volumes we can judge how effective our campaign is.  Based on a survey in May, we estimate that Poole Grammar throws away nearly 47,000 single use plastic bottles in a year.  We will use those statistics to publicise our waste reduction to the wider community in Poole and show that small actions can make a big difference.”

The Watermark Award provides funds for environmental projects within the Wessex Water area. Now in its twenty fifth year, it has supported over 900 environmental initiatives. Organised by The Conservation Foundation, all projects are judged by a panel chaired by its President – David Bellamy.