Go Green Day, Llangollen
Students at Go Green Day at Dinas Brân school, Llangollen generated 150 ideas about travel, energy, single-use plastics, and food waste. The school council met with councillors in May to press for removing all single-use plastics from school.
On 2nd May members of Ysgol Dinas Brân Student Council met with Denbighshire County Councilors Mr Emrys Wynne and Mr Graham Timms to discuss the removal of all single use plastics from schools especially from all of the catering services provided by the County across Denbighshire.
Students along with Mrs Gardner, Mr Wallis and Mrs Kerry (Engagement and Participation Lead Officer for DCC) shared with the Councilors the steps Ysgol Dinas Brân have already taken to become more environmentally aware.
Teachers and students have been asked to use refillable water bottles, washable mugs for tea and coffee and not to use the styrofoam containers from the Bwytyr Castell or the plastic knifes and forks but to bring in their own reusable containers and cutlery.
The students shared with the visitors clips from their recent Go Green Day which involved 4 outside agencies, the whole of Year 7 and our International partner schools. They showed the visitors some of the alternative products they now use including wooden cutlery, bamboo tubs and coffee cups made and sourced locally in Wrexham by Frugal pac which are made from recycled card and are fully recyclable.
Chaired by Laura Gibss and Eve Barrett (both year 13) the students held full and frank discussions on how they thought the County could do more to work within the framework of the Future Wellbeing Act 2015 and to listen to the voice of the young and the town of Llangollen which has recently achieved plastic free status and act to remove all single use plastics from schools, reduce waste and educate both individuals and businesses within the County.
Both Mr Wynne and Mr Timms listened intently to the students, both are part of a Committee working hard to reduce Denbighshire’s carbon footprint. Lots of exciting work being undertaken including sorting and burning all of the current mixed waste which at the moment goes to landfill. This comes into force this month.
As a fantastic further follow-up, students met later in June with Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones to discuss their ideas – http://www.wrexham.com/news/mp-supports-secondary-schools-war-on-plastic-waste-169915.html
Collaborative meetings will be held again in the future with students being invited to attend the Scrutiny Committee meeting at County Hall, Ruthin later in the year.