Roadtown, Tortola - Students of the St. Georges Primary School have been challenged to put aside take-away lunch containers, as well as plastic and paper bags for one day, in an effort to reduce the amount of lunch waste produced at the school.
Bag-less Lunch Day at St. Georges Primary School takes place next Thursday, June 25 and is spearheaded by the Solid Waste Department as part of its environment month activities. It is designed to raise awareness among the students in a practical way, about the volume of waste that can be generated or reduced on an individual level.
The department’s Waste Education Officer, Ms. Nadia James-Lord explained that fast food or take-away lunches provide the perfect example of the volume of waste which can be generated daily and students would see the type of negative or positive impact that they could have on the environment.
Next Thursday students at the St. Georges Primary School who normally purchase lunch on a daily basis from the school’s caterer are being requested to bring empty reusable lunch containers which can be filled by the lunch provider, instead of using take-away Styrofoam or plastic containers. Parents and caregivers are being asked to support this venture by packing reusable lunch containers that can be filled, along with the usual snacks and beverages in their child’s lunch bag.
Principal of the St. Georges Primary School Ms. Claudette Landover stated that the school was excited about the initiative which would provide students with a unique opportunity to see their impact on the amount of waste that could be generated in one day.
Other schools interested in participating in a similar type of project can contact Ms. James-Lord at the Solid Waste Department at 494-6245 for more information on how it can be implemented.
The Solid Waste Department is the government agency under the portfolio of the Ministry of Health and Social Development, which is responsible for the collection and disposal of community solid waste throughout the Territory.
British Virgin Islands News