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Heart of Worcestershire College (HoW College) is continuing with the fight against plastic, along with making a number of other eco-friendly changes, to set the way for a greener future!

Back in December 2018 Plastic Free Worcester announced HoW College as their new flagship employer, with an aim to work together to fight against single-use plastic. Fast forward to August 2020 and Plastic Free Redditch has also announced the launch of their campaign, with their first community ally being HoW College.

Plastic Free Communities (PFC) is an initiative pioneered by the charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS); and aims to tackle the growing problem of single-use plastic and its devastating impact on the environment.

The PFC Objectives aim to challenge community, businesses and local government to reduce reliance on single-use plastic items, replacing them with sustainable alternatives. The PFC also educate others toward the threats of plastic pollution and lead community events such as beach cleans and fundraisers. So far 680 communities, and counting, have acquired Plastic Free status.

As an education provider, HoW College sees the importance of not only leading the way to becoming more environmentally friendly but also educating its community to make small steps to a greener future. Thus far, HoW College has introduced a reusable coffee cup scheme for staff and students (although this has temporarily been put on hold due to the current situation), stopped using single-use plastic cups at its water coolers, and introduced plant-based biodegradable packaging in its canteens. Going forward, HoW College will also be working with waste management company, Veolia, on a campaign to reduce food waste across its sites.

Talking about the changes made to the cafeterias, HoW College’s Refectory Manager, Helen Stirling, said:

“We are very pleased to be able to source more sustainable and biodegradable packaging at our cafes. As a College it’s really important that we all look at what steps we can take to become a more eco-friendly environment and show the students how we can all make a difference.”

To further align with these eco-friendly changes the College recently launched its new campaign ‘We Are The Future’; where the primary goal is to highlight just how important upcoming generations are and to encourage all students to embody that they truly are the future. The message of the campaign believes the students of today are the leaders of tomorrow; no matter their age, ethnicity or personal goals.

With the new campaign in place, the College switched up its promotional items that are often given to prospective students to include reusable cotton canvas bags, wildflower seeded paper wristbands and biodegradable pens made from sugar cane. The College has additionally used recycled paper for its new prospectus, although it does still encourage students and parents to download a copy from its website where possible.

Talking further about becoming more eco-aware, HoW College’s Head of Marketing and Sales, Hannah Griffiths, said:

“Here at HoW College we’re constantly looking for new ways to monitor our carbon footprint and to become a more eco-friendly organisation. Having shaped our new campaign around the future, we felt that it was fitting to echo this sentiment in all aspects of our work and we’re thrilled that our suppliers have been able to support us in producing more eco-friendly alternatives to our traditional marketing materials.”

With the current situation surrounding Covid-19 HoW College has also provided staff with reusable face coverings, not only to keep students and staff safe, but to also help fight the impacts that single-use face coverings will have on the environment.

For more information and to get involved with Plastic Free Redditch or Plastic Free Worcester, please visit their respective Facebook pages.