Setting an Example: Schools Reducing Plastic Pollution

Not only will Tonbridge School’s partnership with Join The Pipe reduce plastic use in the UK, it will also improve global water sanitation.

Tonbridge School is making a stand against plastic pollution by bringing to an end the single use of bottles and cups across the school.

By issuing all boys and staff with reusable, durable water bottles, as part of its drive to combat plastic waste, the school is determined to play its part in the campaign against plastic pollution.

The new reusable bottles can be refilled at any of the six new water fountains

The bottles are easy to clean, dishwasher safe and suitable for classroom and exam room use. They can be re-filled at six newly installed water fountains at the school, which provide clean tap water, ready to drink.

Juliet Burnett, the school’s Community Action Manager, said:

“Getting rid of single-use water bottles seemed a natural first step. We want to take a lead on what, in many ways, is simply a change of culture and habit. As a school we take our social responsibilities seriously, both to our local community and to the wider world, and we are committed to doing what we can to reduce plastic waste.”

Plastic water bottles have been banished from the school

Plastic water bottles have now been removed from sale in the school’s Library café and in its Orchard Centre, and will no longer be provided in boys’ packed lunches, on sports trips or at parents’ evenings.

Changes at Home Changing the World

The school’s water fountains and new bottles have been supplied by Join The Pipe, a Dutch organisation that sets up drinking water projects in poorer parts of the world. For every fountain and bottle that it sells in European countries, Join The Pipe is able to help fund its mission of installing fresh water pumps and improving sanitation in Africa and South East Asia. Tonbridge School is the first school to install its water fountains in the UK.

Every water fountain sold in the UK funds water pumps to be installed in developing countries, courtesy of charity, Join the Pipe

Big Ambitions

Looking to the future, the school is also aiming to get rid of other wasteful plastics, such as disposable coffee cups and plastic bags, as it continues to reflect on how to work as a force for good in environmental matters.

READ MORE: 10 Eco-Friendly Senior Schools in UK | 10 Preps with Forest Schools