Declaring War on Plastic

Christ’s Hospital has stopped giving out single use plastic bottles to pupils and has instead invested in giving every one of our 900 pupils a reusable water bottle.

The idea was born when a group of pupils and staff started an eco-club last year, called the CH Eco Rangers. The group were horrified to discover that in the space of a year the School would give out 28,000 single-use plastic water bottles for students to use every time they went away on sports matches, field days and theatre trips.

“It seemed crazy to be wasting all those plastic bottles needlessly and drinking bottled water when we have drinkable water on tap,” explained the teacher in charge of this initiative, Zoe Munday. “It has been scientifically proven that when it comes to mineral content, including calcium and magnesium, there is no benefit to drinking bottled water in the UK, so there was even more reason to make the swap to reusable water bottles.”

The School has now invested in giving every student an insulated, aluminium reusable water bottle, stylishly branded with the Christ’s Hospital crest. “It’s lightweight, durable and it keeps water cold for 24 hours. Great for taking to away matches,” explains Lucy, a DG/Year 12 pupil. “It’s a great initiative to move towards a greener planet. A big step in the right direction,” says Tristan, also a DG pupil.

“The response has been fantastic,” enthuses Miss Munday. “The students love their new bottles and everyone is embracing the new initiative. Here’s to a more sustainable future for our students!”