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Eco-schools meeting - 5th February

Many thanks for the excellent ideas and suggestions today.

1. Recycling poster competition winners were Stevie, Stephanie, Matthew and Rhiannon (GNP). Excellent work, which will be printed and displayed around the school.

2. Ancient inefficient and polluting coal fired boilers will now be replaced with state of the art environmentally friendly woodchip boilers. This is a huge development and marks a great achievment for the eco-schools committee!

3. A letter was drafted and sent to the headmaster by students requesting the following:

• Funding for 3 recycling bins in canteens and 6th form common room
• Reducing the amount of paper copies of the staff bulletins (over 60 booklets per week)
• Funding for stickers promoting recycling in each classroom.

There has been great interest from some 6th Formers, and we hope they can drive the move towards creating a more environmentally friendly school and model how things could be in their own area.

The date of the next meeting will depend the reply from Dr. Davies. Until then keep thinking up interesting and useful ways to improve the environment in Pencoed.

A big thankyou to the following students for the excellent assemblies last week:

Gabbi Narra (yr12)

Sara Hopkin (yr12)

Stephanie Lewis (yr11)

Jay Boucher (yr9)

Nathalie Edwards (yr9)

I have had loads of positive feedback from both teachers and other students. This was a good way to get things moving. Now we need to get everything else in place. The ecocode has been produced (see it here). Next we need to get the display sorted, advertise the recycling bins (when they finally arrive!), sort out an activity for the verticle session and send a letter to the paper. We will sort this out during the next meeting on November 14th (1.40pm - conference room).

Many thanks to those who attended the meeting today. Loads of great ideas and hopefully a chance to put it into practice over the next few weeks.

Eco-code - being designed by Catrin &

Eco-schools noticeboard - Sion

Assemblies - Stephanie and A.N. other

Publicity (newspapers & school newsletter) - Carrie

Those members who missed the meeting but are interested in helping out, please see me ASAP!

Ecoschools meeting – 3rd October 2006

1. Welcome new members
2. Re-cap of aims
3. Audit results:

Eco-code
Eco-schools notice board
Waste management – reduce litter, encourage recycling & ‘siblings list’
Energy reduction – turning off lights, PCs, windows closed
- Alternative sources of energy - wood chip, wind generator
Transport – encourage walking/cycling
Healthy living – ensure real healthy options are available & promote actively
School grounds – increase wildlife through bird boxes etc
Global citizenship – encourage sale of Fairtrade products

4. Autumn term aims:

Draft eco-code

Sort out notice board

Campaign 1 - promote recycling

(assemblies 16th – 20th October)

Vertical session 23rd October – recycling activity
- Develop recycling areas
- Assembly talks
- Poster campaign
- Entry on school newsletter
- Article for local paper
- Competition on Bridge FM

Event 2 – Energy reduction


After half-term
- Campaign to turm off lights, PCs & close windows
- Encourage LEA to fund cleaner heating system
- Introduce a renewable energy system (e.g. wind generator)

5. Next meeting - 14th November
6. AOB

Next meeting - 1.40pm October 3rd (Conference room)

Possible recycling opportunities:

Paper - Already collected (needs promotion)

Cans - Greenwood plant services (provide bins, need to check out collection service)

Plastic - Unable to locate anything at the moment

Ink cartridges & mobile phones - www.recycool.org

CDs - 'Cds for good causes'

Glass - Health & safety issue (consult with site manager)

If you find any other options, please reply to this post.

I have just received an email from the local council, that could help us develop recycling schemes in school. We will use this to plan our strategy...

Hi Tom

Thanks for your enquiry.I have put some information in the post for you about recycling mobile phones and ink cartridges. This is an on-line company called recycool. Its really easy to sign up and you can earn your school money. Also if you have links with any local businesses, you can approach them to join and any cartridges etc that they collect, they can donate the money to your school. This will also show links to outside organisations.The council don't provide any banks for cans etc but there is a company based in Cornelly that does. Their contact details are Greenwood Plant Services Tel749484 ask to speak to John or Angela. They will provide your school with banks for cans, paper and cardboard (I'm not sure about glass or plastics) and again depending on the amounts collected the school earns money. Should BCBC be running any recycling competitions in the coming year then we'll be in touch. At the moment we are unable to provide a date but should you wish me to visit your eco club then I can chat to the children about how we recycle in Bridgend. This again would be something that you can build into a portfolio showing links to outside organisations. BCBC are able to provide a free composter for your school. If you do not already have one then let me know and I can organise this for you.I hope this is of help to you. If you require anymore help or info then let me know.

Kind regards

Angela - Bridgend County Borough Council recycling officer

We would welcome any ideas for recycling. We already recycle paper, but need to look into recycling cans, glass, and plastics. Our first challenge will be to organise the collection of materials to recycle. This will involve research by committee members, presentation to the full committee then setting the process in motion. We will need publicists, advertising coordinators, collection coordinators so that the system works well. Are you up for the challenge?

What about CDs and DVDs? check this out

Any ideas greatly received.

Agenda for First meeting:

Ecoschool committee meeting – 12th July 2006

1. What is ecoschools?
2. Why should we be involved?
3. Who will be involved?
4. Audit – by the end of Summer term (TB)

5. Action plan – September 2006
6. Spreading the word!

Notice board in reception
Weblog (Blog) – http://pencoedecoschoolsblog.blogspot.com/ (obviously!)

7. Campaigns – every half-term? Starting in September?
8. Date of next meeting
9. AOB