In a bid to champion sustainability, our school’s catering department led by Mrs. K. Wood has undertaken significant measures to curb single-use plastic consumption, just one of the steps towards a more sustainable future for our school.

The initiative implemented recently is the transition in our milk supply chain. Since January of this year, the school has shifted away from purchasing milk in standard 2-litre plastic containers to sourcing from a local dairy farmer situated just outside Monmouth in Whitchurch – The Great Trewen Milk Shed.

This switch to local dairy not only supports nearby businesses but also dramatically slashes our reliance on single-use plastic milk bottles. Instead, the milk now arrives in reusable 10-litre containers, which are subsequently poured into refillable glass bottles for distribution within the school. Once emptied, these reusable containers are returned to the farm for sterilization and reuse, ensuring a closed-loop system that minimizes waste.

Prior to this change, our schools collectively consumed approximately 12,000 plastic milk bottles annually. With this new approach, we’re proud to report a substantial reduction to zero single-use plastic milk bottle usage!

However, this initiative is just one among several that our catering department is spearheading across the school campuses. Our commitment to fostering a more sustainable future is ongoing, with efforts and plans for further incentives to propel us toward our environmental goals, from catering, gardening, net-zero buildings and working to monitor and improve the state of the River Wye.

Through collaborative efforts and continued innovation, we aim to lead by example in the journey towards a more eco-conscious and sustainable educational environment.