What can I do at school?
Tackle single use plastic and recycle
Is your school recycling effectively? Ask your school to speak to the company that collects its waste and find out what other recycling they might be able to collect.
Why not ask your school to join the Plastic Free School initiative – a pupil-led, change-making programme.
If you want to learn about what happens to waste in Leeds, ask your school to arrange a fascinating and educational visit to the RERF.
Promote sustainable travel
Transport emissions make up a third of the UK’s carbon footprint and road transport is also the biggest source of outdoor air pollution in Leeds. Anything that encourages more people to travel sustainably can make a real difference.
Ask your school to help by taking part in one of the following initiatives:
School Streets restrict cars outside your school at the start and end of the school day and make it safer to bike, scoot or walk to school.
School travel ambassadors are pupils with a special responsibility to encourage others to keep safe and active on their journeys.
Bike, pedestrian or scooter training can be delivered in schools. Ask your teachers to contact the council’s Influencing Travel Behaviour team.
Organise a uniform swap shop
Every year, 4,000 tonnes of textiles and clothing ends up in Leeds’ black bins! By setting up a uniform exchange, schools can save perfectly good uniform from going to waste and help families save money.
Check if there is a school uniform re-use scheme in your area already using the Zero Waste Leeds School Uniform Exchange.
If there isn’t, Zero Waste Leeds has created a handy guide explaining how to set up a school uniform re-use scheme with the help of parents or teachers.
Extra tips
Start or join an eco-team. One of the best ways to start taking action at school is by forming or joining an eco-team. An eco-team has representatives from across the school who are passionate about tackling climate change and who can put some of these tips into action! If your school doesn’t already have one, ask your school to read how to set up an eco-team training.
Teach climate change. Ask your teachers if they would consider including climate change within your school’s curriculum. There are lots of ways that these important conversations can be included within your lessons beyond Science!
Here are some good resources to help teachers get started:Leeds DEC’s Climate Change Lessons
Serve planet-friendly school meals. What does your school dinner look like? Schools can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the food they serve by introducing low-carbon and meat-free options for school meals. Catering Leeds has created a new climate-friendly menu which is tasty and nutritious. Ask your school to consider updating its menu to make a difference!
Ask your school to follow the Climate Action Route Map. This is a free resource available to any Leeds school or educational setting. It will support your teachers to provide high quality climate education based on 10 steps of good practice and evidence of what works. Ask your teachers to check it out on the School Wellbeing website.