Page 3 - The College Echo Spring 2019

College News 1

Sustainability Group Students Lead Recycling Initiative

Ivybridge Community College’s Sustainability Group have led and supported
the implementation of a new recycling and waste system. From January 2019,
students and staff will now have the opportunity to recycle in every classroom
and office.
Mark Bullard, WeST Estates Director said, “It is fantastic that we have been able
to implement this change here at the College as we are passionate about
reducing our impact on the planet.”

Since the BBC’s Blue Planet aired in 2018, there has been a nationwide effort
to reduce the amount of single-use plastic being used, disposed of and ending
up in the environment. As a College we are recommending to all students
and staff to bring in their own reusable water bottle, in place of purchasing
bottled drinks each day in order to reduce plastic waste.

This initiative is headed by Thomas Guy and Nick Paskin, of
the Science Department, as part of a wider aim to
encourage the College and its community to be more
responsible for the environment.
Mr Guy, who teaches Physics said, “Our planet has limited
resources and by showing the students the reasons for
recycling and how easy it can be, we hope to have a
knock-on effect across the wider community. By acting
together, we can make a significant difference. Thus we
aim to double our recycling rate to about 50% by August
2019 and hope to make further improvements next year.
The success of the scheme rests with the students, who
have been superb at pushing for the changes and
helping to realise them so far.”

Will, a student member of the College’s Sustainability
Group added, “Alex Mack from Recycle Devon/Resource
Futures has helped us to put together an assembly to tell
the students about the work we have been doing,
because it is such an important topic.”