Litter pickers help keep school grounds tidy

Young eco warriors have been continuing their campaign to improve their school’s green credentials by carrying out weekly lunchtime litter picks.Year 7, 8 and 9 students at Springwood High School in King’s Lynn have been taking it in turns to collect rubbish from the grounds once a week as part of a whole-school eco initiative which has been taking place every Thursday since February.

“The issue of school litter being blown over the public footpaths had been highlighted by the local constituents and members of the public,” said environmental lead Agnieszka Munns, who introduced the scheme.“Students volunteer at lunchtime to collect rubbish from the school grounds. Once the initiative was established, students have independently taken responsibility for keeping the school grounds litter free. Form tutors simply remind the relevant year groups, and year offices issue litter-picking tools and bags.“Most of the teachers on lunchtime duty also pick up the litter – including the school’s Senior Leadership Team – but most of the litter picking is done by our pupils.”The litter picks are just one of the measures implemented by Mrs Munns with the support of Springwood’s student Environmental Ambassadors.The school has already stopped using plastic cutlery, while most plastic food trays have been replaced with recyclable paper alternatives. Students are encouraged to bring refillable water bottles, rather than buying single-use plastic ones.Other Environmental Committee initiatives include the conservation of energy by using natural lighting wherever possible and switching off computers, printers and projectors when not in use.There are also plans to rewild part of the grounds by planting wildflowers, and members of the Design and Technology Club have been making bird houses to support nature at the school.“Springwood High School is a recognised Eco School,” added Mrs Munns. “All the school’s environmental initiatives attempt to make our school greener by making it as sustainable as possible whilst meeting the needs of our students and the surrounding community, as well as considering the future of our local area.“Regardless of our subjects, teachers are keen to teach the next generation of environmental activists how to live sustainably.”