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MANAGING YOUR PTA – Zero-waste PTAs
W
e’ve heard a lot about schools trying to become greener in recent years. But it’s been more of a challenge over
the past year, due to tighter budgets and an increased reliance on single-use items during the pandemic. With fundraising events
starting to take place once more, now might be a good time to start thinking about the amount of waste your PTA generates. So, what steps can you take to reduce waste, and how can you get your sustainability message out there? It’s easier, of course, to continue
doing things the way they’ve always been done. But PTA activities can produce a lot of waste, and many in the school community will feel uncomfortable about this, all too aware of the climate emergency we’re facing. Reducing waste is on the agenda
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globally. In November, the UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), where heads of state, climate experts and campaigners will meet to discuss how the world will collectively tackle climate change. The publicity around COP26 is sure to create a good opportunity to put our planet at the forefront of your PTA’s thinking.
Lead the way The Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s
environmental change toolkit states that ‘by making sure the actions and choices of your charity refl ect your values and are
Can a PTA become zero-waste?
Heather Park looks at how you can minimise your impact on the
environment, and help your school community to do the same
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fully aligned with your mission, you send a coherent message to current and potential supporters’. At the core of every PTA is the learning, development and progress of children, which is why PTAs must play their part in protecting pupils’ future. Alex Green, programme
manager at climate change charity Ashden and PTA chair at St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School in Tunbridge Wells, explains how schools and PTAs can use their place in society to create change. ‘The role of the school is as a
community leader, and the PTA fi ts within that,’ she says. ‘Schools are a fundamental part of all communities –
something we’ve seen during Covid – and how they use this infl uence is key. If the school makes a policy about not having single-use plastic in lunchboxes, for example, it changes what is done locally. These actions feed directly into the PTA, which can infl uence through events. You can lead by example in what you do.’
Where to begin The most important thing to remember
is that this is a gradual approach, not an overnight change. ‘Look at it as a journey,’ says Green. ‘Agree as a PTA to commit to a policy change, such as removing all single-use plastic within a year. PTAs can be quite stuck in their ways, so explain
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