Fundraising
The war on waste
With growing concerns about plastic and its impact on the environment, Heather Park looks at how you can make your fundraising more eco-friendly
S
chools and their pupils are becoming much more aware of plastic’s impact on the planet. Talked-about TV
programmes, such as Blue Planet, have made the issue mainstream and have become a valuable teaching resource. Yet plastic waste is still an all-too-familiar sight at school events, thanks to cups, straws, plates, prizes, and more. So how can you put awareness into
action when it comes to fundraising? Here’s a rundown of environmentally friendly alternatives available for your school, whether you want to recycle, reduce or reuse.
Invest and reuse Buying reusable items is better value than single-use food packaging in the long term. Although the washing-up is time consuming, it will mean less litter at events. Consider investing in crockery and cutlery, seeking donations from local businesses, or holding a crockery amnesty. Ask pupils to each bring a mug to school one day, possibly in exchange for wearing non-school uniform. When buying reusable glasses, source sturdy or glass-free items to avoid breakages.
Compostable cutlery Paper plates may be seen as a good alternative to plastic ones, but they’re not recyclable once used, as the food and grease bonds with the paper fibres and cannot be separated during recycling. Companies such as Vegware (
vegware.com) offer completely compostable catering disposables made from renewable or recycled materials. Vegware stocks everything – from hot or cold drinks cups to takeaway food packaging – and these products can be recycled along with food waste.
BYO discount Ask people to bring their own cups to events, offering them a better deal if they do. Give a discount, or impose a penalty (say 25p) for customers without their own cup. That way, people will be more likely to take part. This is a system similar to those used by many coffee shops, and it avoids washing-up afterwards.
Plastic-free tombola Sending plastic cups home for families to fill with ‘stock’ for the tombola is great for making money. However, you can easily substitute the plastic for a biodegradable
alternative, such as brown paper bags or donated jam jars.
Eco-friendly glitter Bioglitter (
discoverbioglitter.com) is an eco-friendly alternative to plastic-based glitter. Made from plant-derived materials, it’s the only glitter on the market that is proven to biodegrade into harmless substances in the environment.
Tackle your tuck shop Most ‘tuck’ comes in plastic packaging. One option is to buy sweets in bulk and run a pick ’n’ mix stand or make up your own paper bags of sweets, but bear in mind this does mean the nutritional values and allergy advice won’t be present on each item. Alternatively, research packaging that’s recyclable and provide a point where people can dispose of the packaging.
Eco-friendly prizes The aim for a good fair stall prize is to avoid plastic as much as possible, or ensure the item is good quality so that it will be reused and won’t break within hours. Possibilities include: n Packets of seeds – try peas,
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