We have awarded Haileybury – a day and boarding school based in Hertfordshire – with a Green Can Award for establishing a drink can recycling initiative, which has already seen more than 6.8 kg of aluminium cans recycled since October 2022.
Haileybury’s Recycling Initiative
Haileybury’s Sustainability Committee is an extra-curricular group, made up of around 50 Sixth Form pupils who are all committed to making an environmental and social difference at the school and in the surrounding area.
In October 2022, the pupils ramped up their recycling efforts by installing 30 Every Can Counts recycling boxes in common areas around the school, as well as in each of the 12 boarding houses. These boxes helped to encourage their peers, teachers and visitors to recycle and has since resulted in over 6.8kg of cans being recycled!
Other Sustainability Initiatives at Haileybury
Sustainability is a key focus for Haileybury School which has worked hard to reduce its year-on-year energy consumption by 8% for the first 3 months of the year. This was achieved by installing energy efficient LED lighting and implementing the use of energy monitors to help drive behavioural change.
The school will also be banning single use plastic bottles on site from August 2023, has planted 400 more trees on its fields, and has installed two cycle shelters to encourage its pupils and staff to use more green transportation methods.
Alongside their sustainability efforts, Haileybury pupils also organise and support local community initiatives such as litter picking and organising afternoon tea for elderly members of the community.
Green Can Award Presentation
In addition to receiving an award, pupils from the Sustainability Committee were also rewarded with a workshop led by social enterprise, Casting Innovations. During this workshop pupils learned about the infinite recyclability of aluminium, as well as the melting process with pupils making their own individually casted keyring from recycled aluminium.
What We Had To Say About the Award
Simon Heard, Deputy Master and Sustainability Lead at Haileybury was delighted with the award: “We feel very fortunate to have so many motivated pupils and committed staff to help push the sustainability strategy of the School, of which one aspect is recycling. It is fantastic, therefore, to team up with a company such as Every Can Counts. To win an award on top of this was very special and we are very proud of the pupils’ achievements.”
Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts said: “We’re very impressed with the efforts of the pupils at Haileybury when it comes to recycling.
“Their Sustainability Committee is setting an excellent example of how the younger generation can get involved to implement change and look after the environment.
“Aluminium is infinitely recyclable and each and every drink can recycled could be back on the shop shelf in 60 days, so small changes, such as rolling out recycling bins at schools, really do add up to make a difference. We hope the group’s ongoing efforts inspire others within the community and the wider area to get involved to help keep the cycle going.”
How to Set Up A School Recycling Initiative
Introducing drink can recycling into schools has never been easier! As part of our mission to achieve a 100% drink can recycling rate, we offer FREE recycling packs to businesses and organisations looking to implement recycling initiatives. With these packs you will receive 3 cardboard collection boxes, can collection sacks and a selection of educational/promotional posters.
Click here to fill out the form and receive your recycling pack today!
Educational Resources About Aluminium Recycling
For any schools interested in introducing a range of multidisciplinary teaching resources on aluminium recycling, please visit the Learning Aluminium Website.
Learning Aluminium contains a selection of free, downloadable, curriculum-linked activities for pupils aged seven to 14. These resources can be used across several subjects including geography, design and technology, English and ICT.
Apply for a Green Can Award!
Have you helped to set up a can recycling initiative at your school? Or maybe you’ve introduced drink can recycling into the work place? If so, we believe that your efforts deserve to be recognised! Click here to find out more about our Green Can Awards.