CHILDREN at The Grange Junior School have launched a new initiative to do their bit in the global war on plastic.

Students have teamed up with the Environment Agency to tackle the waste crisis, eliminating single-use plastic bottles from their school.

As a result of hard work including a focus on reducing waste and an upcycling competition, winning students were presented with a new carbon neutral Grange Junior School water bottle.

The bottle is made from sugarcane and is 100 per cent bio-based.

Headteacher Guy Rands said: “Understanding the many different ways in which we can all contribute to reduce our negative impact on the environment – particularly in relation to plastics – must be an essential part of every child’s education.

“I have been impressed with the leadership and initiative show by our children to reduce our plastic waste at The Grange Junior School.

“The sourcing and sale of an environmentally ethical water bottle – which in itself is fully recyclable – is another important step in our journey to becoming a sustainable school.”

Two recent assemblies by Mr Rands have highlighted the work done by children at the school, including the ‘3Rs Club’ – focused on reducing, reusing and recycling.

The upcycling winners were Martha Clubbe (KS1), Henry Ball (KS2) and Erin Shaw in Year 6 for the slogan competition.

Representatives from the Environmental Agency also attended as special guests, while there was also a ‘thank you ‘message from Orangutan UK Appeal for the stamps the school has recently collected for them as part of a recycling initiative.

If all the stamps parents had sent in were laid out side by side, they would be almost as wide as the London Eye.

The Grange School water bottles, derived from Brazilian sugar cane ethanol, has zero impact on the Amazon rainforest or any food production.

For every ton of ‘I’m Green’ plastic produced, two and a half tons of carbon dioxide is captured and locked away.

Bottles will be available for parents to buy for children, or for themselves. Any profit from bottle sales will go directly to funding more environmental projects run by the school Planet Protectors of the 3Rs Club.