Four of the members of Byeco.
Budding entrepreneurs at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools have been building the life skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the changing world of work.
As part of the Young Enterprise initiative, the Sixth Form students have been creating eco-friendly companies and will be displaying their products at the Welsh finals on Thursday 30th April.
Mentored by professional consultants from industry, the students at Monmouth School for Girls and Monmouth School for Boys have grown in confidence throughout the term.
One group, called Byeco, believe it has spotted a gap in the market for an exciting product.
Joe, 16, said: “Every minute more than one million plastic bottles are sold across the world but less than 10 per cent of these are recyclable.
“We are making recyclable lids to attach to drinks cans with the aim of reducing fizz loss and spillage, preventing spiking and keeping insects, dust and dirt out.”
And Rhiannon, 16, added: “Our can lid is made from 100 per cent recyclable material and, because it is sealable, we believe it is an exciting and realistic eco-friendly alternative to using plastic bottles.”
The other company formed by Monmouth students, Prospect UK, is making bumble wraps – a natural alternative to single-use plastic.
Anna, 16, said: “Bumble wraps are an alternative to cling film, which is bad for the environment, because they are anti-bacterial and re-usable.
“It’s 100 per cent cotton and we are coating them in beeswax and pine resin and then wrapping them around food to keep it fresh.”
She added: “This project has been brilliant. I am the managing director of our company and it has been a great experience getting the team together and making us all head in the same direction.”
The students are also writing a company report on their businesses complete with financial accounts; designing and building a trade stand to promote their businesses; preparing for an interview with a panel of judges and putting together a presentation for next month’s finals.
For more information about either product, please email: byeco2@outlook.com or teamprospectuk@gmail.com
Anna and Bill from Prospect UK.
