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Recycled playground surfacing could help schools to improve


Abacus Playgrounds is launching a new blend of 100% recycled playground surfacing, which can actively help schools to hit new sustainability targets. Natural looking, non-toxic and completely inert, the Mulchbond range is being introduced following the news that the UK is failing to meet long-term sustainability goals. As the government looks


to revise figures showing a decline in UK recycling, schools and play facility owners are being encouraged to invest in environmentally- friendly, 100% recycled playground surfacing to promote safe, creative play while also protecting the environment. The range is available in six colours,


and each square metre contains one recycled tyre. It is also porous, ensuring fast drainage and no dispersement or scatering, and will not atract unwanted animals or pests. Importantly, the surface also complies with BS EN 1177:2008, which


minimises unwanted injuries to children. “This is an ideal investment for


schools and play facilities,” explains Bill Worthington of Abacus Playgrounds. “It has everything needed for soft, safe external play, as well as actively encouraging recycling and using 100% recycled materials to ensure that no harm comes to the environment or your pupils.”


T: 01332 287410. E: bill@abacuspg.co.uk


Praises eco for student architect


From a cohort of final-year students at Brambletye Primary School in West Sussex, James Adams won a competition to design an Eco Classroom. The competition asked


the 13-year-olds to use the basic principles of sustainable building design to plan an Eco Classroom. It needed to employ straightforward construction techniques, use locally sourced materials and strive to be low-energy and low-impact. Explaining the


inspiration for his design, James said: “[It came from] a book I read called ‘Twister on Tuesday’, about the Midwestern plains of North


America where, lacking trees for wood, they built houses made from mud and grass, much like an eco-house.” David Callin, Senior Architect at competition judges Cowan Architects, said: “James’ design stood out with its imaginative use of the site’s topography and its simplicity of design. His design is sustainable construction


at its rawest.” Ian Purcell,


Head of Science at Brambletye, said: “Our plan is for next year’s students


to implement James’ design, which is both exciting and buildable.”


LIGHTS OUT TO FUEL GREEN CAMPAIGN FLAME


Farlington School in West Sussex has relaunched its textiles recycling scheme through Bags of Support, a local company that collects re-useable clothes, bedding and soft toys from the school’s recycling collection container. High-quality items are


sent directly to the Glodeni orphanage in Romania, while other items are sold and distributed to Romanians who cannot afford to buy new clothing. As well as raising money (now in excess of £1,000), the scheme has also helped the school to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill.


Elsewhere, Farlington


also took part in Switch-Off Fortnight 2013 last November. Deliberately timed for the start of the darker, colder months, when more heating and lighting are naturally used, the school-wide project saw all students learning about and taking action to save more energy across all aspects of school life. The school’s Year 7 girls,


meanwhile, have constructed a bug mansion from hay, bamboo, flowerpots and bricks, while bee- and buterfly-friendly flowers have been planted to encourage wildlife. Farlington’s governing


council has set an ambitious target of reducing fossil fuel consumption by 20% over the next five years. A survey of potential renewable energy projects has been commissioned and, as a result, the school will shortly have its own biomass boiler system.


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