News
Deeside College proves recycling pays!
30 November 2009
Deeside College is proving that recycling pays by donating money to its Student Association for all the plastics that students recycle on site.
The scheme, which began in 2006, enables students to earn £3 for the association for every cubic metre of plastic that is recycled rather than sent to landfill. The Student Association then use the funds to provide students with a number of facilities and a wide range of activities.
The success of the college’s scheme has seen it become the latest Welsh public sector organisation to be selected as a ‘Green Star’ in the Welsh Assembly Government’s Public Sector Waste Minimisation Campaign. The campaign has been set up to encourage organisations in the sector to cut their output of waste which in turn reduces the size of their carbon footprint.
Deeside College’s scheme has now been running for three years and as well as funding the Student Association it has increased student awareness of environmental issues, encouraged participation in recycling and reduced litter on site.
Since 2006 the students have raised over £800 for their Student Association and the scheme continues to pay dividends.
Niki Shuttleworth, Deeside College’s Health, Safety & Sustainability Officer, said: “When we initiated the scheme we hoped to change the mindset of the younger generation and we are overwhelmed by its success. We find that rather than dropping litter or not giving any thought to recycling, students now make the effort to find the correct recycling bins to dispose of their plastic bottles.
“And, although it is only the recycling of plastic that is paid for, we have seen an increase in the use of other recycling facilities around the site.”
Deeside College uses a proportion of its annual waste management budget to fund the scheme.
The Welsh Assembly Public Sector Waste Minimisation Campaign is being delivered by Envirowise.
Ann Stevenson, Envirowise public sector programme director in Wales, said: “Our Green Stars initiative enables us to highlight the good work being done within the public sector to reduce waste, cut carbon and save money and resources. Deeside College is a fantastic example of an organisation that has found an innovative and inclusive way to avoid creating waste and to reduce its environmental impact.”
She added: “We are constantly on the look out for new ‘Green Stars’ to be the face of our campaign. If you, or someone you know, are making a positive difference in your organisation then get in touch. We want to know about what’s going on and get more public sector organisations following the examples that are being set.”
