Students and staff at Harrow College have volunteered their time to take part in a litter pick event at neighbouring Lowlands Recreation Ground. Organised by the College’s Student Union, the volunteers which included College Principal Pat Carvalho, got to work during their lunch break. Armed with gloves, litter pickers and black bags, the group cleared litter from the park in a bid to keep our environment clean and give something back to the local community.
The litter pick was just one in a series of initiatives in which Harrow College has participated during this academic year with the objective of supporting the environment.
Highlights include:
• Solar panels have saved over 18.5 tonnes of carbon, generating 45,000 KWh of electricity since September
• Students have pledged to reduce their plastic usage and since 1st May, the College no longer supply plastic cups at water fountains – everyone has to re-use their own bottles.
• College caterers no longer use polystyrene packaging for take away food.
• Charity collection each term have resulted in the donation of:
- 65kg of waste electricals sent to a specialist recycling plant to be stripped down
- 7.5kg of milk bottle tops to the London Air Ambulance charity
- 52 pairs of unwanted glasses to Vision Aid International at the local SpecSavers
- Old foreign/British coins to the Children’s Society
- 200g of used stamps to the Multiple Sclerosis charity
- 72 boxes of old books, factual and fiction, to Read International charity
• 4 cycling events in association with the London Cycling Campaign. A bicycle loan scheme to promote cycling to students and staff has also been set up.
• The College was re-awarded accreditations for the Carbon Trust Standards and ISO 14001
Jacki Staal, Estates Co-Ordinator at Harrow College said:
“The College is really proud of the significant efforts made this year to be more sustainable, raise awareness of environmental issues and support these types of initiative. This topic remains a key priority for the College and it is excellent to see staff and students so enthusiastic and keen to get involved”
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