Year 8 Geography students have been completing a series of lessons from the unit of work “Oceans on the Edge”. Over the last few weeks we have covered ideas such as plastic in the ocean, threats to coral reefs and oil spills. Students in 8PDH and 8LPV were asked to write a pledge on ways that they can reduce the amount of single-use plastic that they use.  I am delighted to share with you some of their amazing responses.

Jacek Brzeg’s Pledge

At the beginning of 2021 my family already made a pledge to reduce single use plastic. So far this year we have:

• Replaced laundry liquid and dishwasher tablets with eco capsules delivered in a paper box
• Been using soap bar rather than liquid soap (we keep liquid for guests - we buy refill in eco packaging)
• We buy drinks/ sparkling water in a glass bottle
• We use a water filter instead of water in plastic bottles
• We buy as much food from the market where you can return containers/ bring our own containers, and we buy food without packaging where possible
• We use our bags for life
• We avoid buying one use/ unnecessary plastic items/ toys
• If there is choice - we buy items in paper rather than plastic
• We buy bamboo toilet roll/ kitchen towel in a paper bag (no plastic wrap).

During recent bin men strikes we were the only ones on the street who after weeks still had pretty empty plastic bin. That made me feel happy. I still hope we can further reduce food packaging - most of our plastic is still from food packaging (some fruits, yoghurt, oil bottles). I also want to use anything made from plastic for as long as possible - it is better to choose things more carefully, rather than keep buying new ones.

Tyler Cox’s Pledge

I am going to buy non single-use plastic, try to buy more biodegradable items such as paper straws, biodegradable bags, metal bottles and metal cutlery. I am also going to try and recycle more. I will try and encourage friends and family to cut down on waste, for example my mum's friend only drinks bottled water which can end up floating around in the ocean for millions of years. I will encourage her to stop doing this and buy a metal bottle. Many of my friends only drink bottled water too, so I could try and help them too.

Naima Mendjeli's Pledge

To reduce the amount of single use plastic that I use, I will try my best to make educated purchases regarding plastic wrapping as well as buying cardboard cartons. I will try to avoid cling film and foil in favour of paper bags, and I will make sure I put my litter in the right section of the bin. Hopefully, I can also participate in organised litter picks my local area, and I’ll try to persuade my family and friends to also take steps towards a plastic free future.  I’ll transform plastic bottles into art projects. Hopefully it can make a difference.

Aliza Ahmad'S Pledge

I can reduce the amount of single-use plastic I use by finding alternatives that aren't made from plastic. For example, instead of using plastic straws, I could use paper straws, bring a bag made from cloth instead of receiving the plastic ones, and not use disposable plastic cutlery for your food. Choosing what you use for your daily life and finding replacements for plastics such as paper or metal is good for the environment as we are reducing our plastic intake easily.

Abigail Carter's Pledge

I can reduce my use of single-use plastic by always carrying around or sticking with one single water bottle as it ensures I don't need to buy a plastic water bottle that I'm just going to throw away. Many plastic bottles are thrown away into the ocean daily, adding to the pollution and danger of the wildlife in the environment. Even if I do buy a plastic bottle, I shouldn't throw it away, just reuse it.  I could also use metal straws as they can be easily carried around and don't need to be thrown away after every use like normal plastic straws. Even using paper straws are better than plastic ones as when they get thrown away, they get recycled and made into something else  instead of adding to the millions of stray rubbish around the world.