ECO-minded youngsters at St Paul’s School in Leamington are saving the planet one uniform at a time.
A second-hand uniform shop has been set up at the school thanks to Warwickshire County Council’s Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund and could result in over a ton of waste being diverted from landfill each year.
It has come about after the Parents and Teachers Association at St Pauls was awarded £4,200 in funding to create a second-hand uniform shop in a custom built container on the site.
And as well as being a source of pre-loved uniforms, the shop will also feature a range of World Book Day costumes, Christmas jumpers and book bags. It is hoped that the shop will reduce carbon emissions and create a legacy of sustainable shopping habits for the school community and beyond.
The production of school uniforms requires significant amounts of resources, such as water, energy, and raw materials. As children grow so quickly, this leads to increased waste generation when these items of clothing are discarded.
According to recent research, the clothing industry is responsible for 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year (eight to ten per cent of the planetary total) and school uniforms inevitably contribute to this figure.
Any revenue that is generated from the recycling shop will be ring-fenced for school maintenance and environmental projects.
Kate Murphy, joint chair of the PTA said: “’The school community is so pleased to have the second-hand uniform shop up and running. Our parents have been really interested in the carbon savings element which has generated a lot of discussion at the check out. This has led to an increase in donations to the shop and a buzz around the school about what else we might be able to reuse.”
WCC climate spokesperson Coun Heather Timms added: “This is a fantastic project, as simple as it is far reaching and serves to, in part, address two of the biggest challenges in the UK right now – the climate change emergency and the increasing cost of living.”
For more information visit https://www.saintpaulsschool.org.uk/
