ST NINIAN’S HIGH SCHOOL
ECO CLUB
NEWSLETTER
Eco-Schools is an international initiative designed to encourage wholeschool action for the environment. It is an environmental management
tool, learning resource and recognised award scheme.
There are now over 3,500 schools registered with the Eco-Schools
programme in Scotland, which includes over 98% of Scotland's local
authority schools, as well as independent and early years establishments.
Over 31% of the local authority schools have attained the highest award
level - the Green Flag.
St Ninian’s High School has been awarded the Bronze and Silver Awards
of the Eco Schools Scotland programme. We are currently working
towards the prestigious Green Flag Award by tackling three main areas:
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Waste minimisation
Litter
School Grounds
Waste Minimisation
The school has taken a number of actions in order to reduce the amount of
waste that we produce.
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Paper recycling - We have placed a paper recycling sack and posters in
every classroom, base and office within the school
Double sided copying – we have put posters up above the photocopiers to
encourage staff to photocopy double-sided where possible
Printer cartridges – As a very large school we use an enormous number of
printer cartridges. Previously these just went to landfill, where they take
hundreds of years to biodegrade. The toxic chemicals that they contain
will eventually leak into the soil and pollute the environment. We now
recycle printer cartridges and in the last 3 years we have recycled close
to 500 printer cartridges (205Kg) raising £245. The printer cartridges
are collected by a Company called Recycool. They refill the cartridges
and put them back into the consumer cycle, which is a lot better than
them going to landfill!
Batteries – The school has a number of bins for the proper recycling of
batteries.
Litter
Thankfully, our school does not have the same level of litter problem that other
schools have but it still needs addressed.
The Eco Club has successfully implemented different projects within this area.
We do a lot to control and reduce litter. For example, we try to recycle as much
as much as possible and we have recycling bins placed around the school building.
The school also has organized litter picks – where students collect any litter
from Eastwood Park, in an effort to keep the school and its grounds litter free.
The Eco Club has also run some competitions to raise awareness about why
dropping litter is bad for our environment. We hope to have lots more
competitions in the future as we have found them to be a very effective way of
getting the message across to the students.
School Grounds
It is very special to have a park quite literally on our doorstep and we are
working on projects that enhance our school’s role within the park.
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Bird boxes - We have built and hung six bird boxes in the trees behind
the new Science extension. Several pairs of birds have been seen using
the boxes. A special thank you to Mr Hamilton from Design and
Technology for all his help with these.
Plastic bottle bird feeders –Pupils have reused plastic bottles to good
effect and are providing the birds with much needed sustenance at this
difficult time of year for them.
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Tree Planting – Last year we planted 11 trees within Eastwood Park. This
£700 project was 75% funded by the Tree Council’s Trees for Schools
Fund. They were a mixture of Oak, Beech and Lime to replace some old
diseased trees that had been felled and to help blend the school into the
park.
St Ninian’s High School Eco Code
As a School we aim to:
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Keep our School and surrounding community free from litter
Reduce, Reuse & Recycle our waste eg recycling paper and printer
cartridges
Maintain and improve our School Grounds
Be mindful of the wildlife and biodiversity surrounding our school
Save energy
Plans for this year
This year we plan to continue with our various ongoing projects like collecting
waste paper and recycling printer cartridges and also introduce some new
projects:
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Golden Bin! - We are going to reward random pupils for using the bins
for litter in a project called the Golden Bin. A bin will be chosen to watch
secretly and a number will be chosen (eg 10). The tenth person to use
that bin will win a special spot prize.
Bird table – We are exploring the possibilities of building a bird table for
the school grounds
Vegetables – we may even try to grow some of our own vegetables!
Top ten tips to be more Eco Friendly
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Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Unsubscribe from junk mail
Print double sided
Buy locally produced foods
Turn off electrical equipment and lights when not in use
Turn the heating down
Use your bag for life
Receive and pay bills online
Walk or cycle short journeys
Take shorter showers
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