Eco Child’s Play

Over half of schools in England have achieved Eco-School status, UK Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced today.

“Schools have an important part to play in helping young people to build a greener future for us all and it’s young people that will lead the way in creating a healthy environment for future generations,” says Secretary Benn.

Run by Keep Britain Tidy, the Eco-Schools program encourages children and teachers to make their school more environmentally-friendly and sustainable.  They follow a simple seven step process covering themes including waste, healthy living and biodiversity.

• » See also: Grow Your Own Tree Hugger: 101 Activities to Teach Your Child How to Live Green
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The benefits of achieving Eco-School status are:

• “Saving money by better environmental management.”
• “Connecting the national curriculum and learning with good environmental behaviors.”
• “Building strong partnerships with the local community.”
• “Improvements for the school buildings and grounds.”
• “Helping to promote the school’s green credentials.”

Says Phil Barton, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, which runs Eco-Schools
in England:

“To reach the stage where more than half of England’s schools are registered
as Eco-Schools is a remarkable achievement and a great testament to pupils
and teachers across the country…As the world becomes increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability, I believe that Eco-Schools will play an even greater role in equipping the next generation to meet the challenges of the future.”

Schools in the UK spend on average annually £100million pounds on electricity;
£106million on water; £39million cleaning up litter and stopping vandalism;
£56million on emptying bins and  £150million on paper and school
stationary.

From the UK to France, Morocco to South Africa, there are now 20,000 Eco-Schools worldwide.  In 1992, Eco-Schools developed in Denmark into an international award program after the 1992 UNCED in Rio de Janeiro.  Schools work towards gaining one of three awards - Bronze, Silver and the  Green Flag award, which represents excellence in the field of environmental activity.

For more info, visit Eco-Schools online.

Image courtesy of www.freephoto1.com

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