Brighton College Going to School on Single Use Plastics

Brighton College Al Ain hopes to eliminate single use plastics this year, with school lunches already banned from having single use plastics inside. Single use plastics or disposable plastics are items like zip lock bags, straws, disposable cutlery, plastic bottles and food packaging that are used once and thrown away.

Using World Oceans Day (WOD), 8 June, to highlight the problem of plastic pollution, children and staff launched the school wide initiative aimed at eliminating single use plastics from the school.

A fun-packed day on Sunday, 10 June, celebrated everything marine with information on how to conserve the world’s oceans and all that lives in them, hands on games, ocean-inspired art activities and a ‘Trashion Show’.

Melanie Rackham, Deputy Head of Pastoral and Director of Learning Support, who organised the event said: We celebrate World Oceans Day to raise awareness of the problem with plastic pollution. So much plastic is made, used once and thrown away. Much of this plastic ends up in our beautiful oceans and on our beaches. Sea creatures become entangled in the plastic or end up eating it. By 2050 it is believed that all fish will have consumed a diet of some plastic. We need to be proactive now and reduce our use of single use plastic because it will affect our children’s future lives and the life of our planet.

Children across the school were asked to dress in blue and bring in a school lunch free of single use plastics. All pupils welcomed the challenge and replaced zip lock bags for reusable plastic containers, brought in metal cutlery instead of plastic, and far less processed, pre-packaged snacks was seen.

The Junior School held a 'Trashion Show' during the afternoon as a fun way to get creative with recycling. Pupils modelled hats and outfits made from single use plastics that they had found at home. A wonderful array of exciting and innovative costumes were displayed on the catwalk with teaching staff also taking part.

World Oceans Day is a global celebration that serves to remind everyone of the major role the oceans have in everyday life. The purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world's oceans.

There are many things we can do as individuals to reduce our plastic consumption. Use less plastic and recycle the plastic you use.  #SaveOurOceans.