Tytherington School has pledged to become one of the first schools in the country to phase-out the use of single-use plastics by 2019.

The school has worked closely with their catering suppliers, Innovate, to introduce a range of initiatives which will eventually remove single-use plastics by 2019. The hope is that other schools will quickly follow suit.

The drive for change has come from a Year 7 Environmental Group called “Tythy Goes Green”. Six Year 7 students presented to Headteacher, Manny Botwe, and members from the senior management of Innovate Catering, to outline what should be done to make Tytherington an environmentally friendly school. The group also presented an assembly to fellow students to discuss what students and teachers could do to help. The members of the group are as follows: Tabitha Prager, Daisy Nixon, Taylor Hadfield, Elliot Martin, Esther Bird and Callum Beedon. The group meet on a weekly basis alongside staff members, Den Massett and Mel Stockdale.

Some of the measures which the Tythy Goes Green initiative have negotiated include:

• Removal of plastic cutlery and the introduction of vegetable based and metal cutlery.
• All polystyrene takeaway boxes to be phased out once current stock are exhausted.
• Cakes will be served without plastic wrapping.
• The removal of plastic straws.
• The introduction of reusable water bottles and coffee cups. Students will be encouraged to use water fountains. The school will sell re-usable coffee cups and the profits will go to the ‘Tythy Goes Green Group’ for use in further recycling initiatives.
• Compost bins will be placed in the kitchen and items composted in school garden daily.

Headteacher, Manny Botwe said, “We are dedicated to minimising the environmental impact of our activities and we want to play our part in reducing single-use plastics across the world. We shall be encourage all our suppliers, partners and associated organisations to help us to phase out their use at Tytherington School altogether. We are delighted that Innovate have supported and facilitated us in our cause. A huge well done to the young people in the Tythy Goes Green group as this would not be happening at this point without them highlighting the issue to us. ”

Ken Navin, CEO of Innovate said, “Innovate is proud to partner with the students of Tytherington School in making a significant contribution to the protection of our environment.  The students inspiring the “Tythy Goes Green” initiative feel passionately about the future of our planet and we are only too happy to share their vision.  For a number of years we have worked with the intelligent and insightful students at Tytherington to shape our food offer and it is a natural step forward to show we can make a difference in protecting our natural habitat.”

Esther Bird, in year 7 said: “We in the Tythy Goes Green group are overjoyed about the new plans for the school to get rid of single-use plastics. It’s incredible that the school has listened to the group – made up of Year 7s – and really made an effort to change for the better. We’re so excited to see where this might lead, and can’t wait for more decisions like this in the future. It’s great to know that it’s possible to make a big difference no matter how small you are.”