Green crusaders from Kinross High School are celebrating a top distinction, underlining their commitment to saving the planet.
The school’s Eco Committee have been successful in achieving Green Flag accreditation for the school.
The committee, mostly made up of senior students, worked throughout the year to make the school as environmentally friendly as possible.
Empty plastic bottles were collected from across the school community as well as from local residents and businesses around Kinross.
These were then used to build a greenhouse within the school grounds which ensured that the plastic was not sent to landfill.
The school has worked over the past three years to build its eco credentials, including removing all plastics and non-recyclable cutlery from their lunches during ‘Plastic free week’, and collecting all the waste paper from the classrooms around the school during morning registrations to ensure it is recycled properly.
The school aims to become even more environmentally friendly by building on their recycling goals as well as looking at how the school grounds can be made more habitable by local flora and fauna.
Delighted headteacher Sarah Brown said: “In my experience both teachers and pupils care about environmental issues and want to make positive change.
“The COP 26 conference, currently underway in Glasgow, underlines the importance of us all acting now to protect our planet.
“I am delighted that the school’s eco group has achieved Green flag status.
“This recognises the hard work that has been undertaken to engage with environmental issues.
“I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the groups for their achievement, and I look forward to seeing more from the pupils who are currently involved in Eco-schools.”
Science teacher and eco co-ordinator Gavin Collier praised everyone for their efforts.
He said: “The overall management was done almost completely by last year’s sixth year but it was a whole school initiative and we all pulled together.
"We have to renew Green Flag every year and this year they are recycling plastic and possibly composting.
“It’s a lovely flag and it took me many years to get it for the school so we want to keep it.”
However current S6 pupils will not be resting on their laurels and they will pull out all the stops to maintain high standards.
Finlay Anness, Angus Gray and Lilly Roy took time out to talk to us on a lunchtime call.
Angus, leader of the Eco Group said: “We have a grant left over from previous years and we were talking the other day about how we could use the money for recycling in the school. Our team is very passionate about changing the school.”
Added Lilly: “We have regular litter picks and try to get all years so it’s not just S6 who are involved.”
Finlay said he was encouraged with the headteacher’s support of the project.
