School collects more than 25,000 plastic bottle tops for recycling project
Students have been collecting bottle tops as part of a national recycling project to recognise the impact of community.
King Edward VI High School in Stafford is working alongside British Ironworks Centre, in Oswestry, as part of their School Bottle Top Recycling Challenge.
The project sees schools host a metal giraffe, created from recycled metal, for a month, and students are encouraged to donate plastic bottle tops to fill it as many times as possible.
The giraffe was placed outside the school hall, to ensure the students' progress with their bottle tops could be observed.
After the month has passed, the aim is to then create something useful out of those bottle tops, to demonstrate how our everyday waste can be used for something far more effective and beneficial.
Students and staff have worked together to collect over 25,000 plastic bottle tops over the last month.
The school will now join forces with Protean Art to create a mural to be placed within the school grounds, to highlight the importance of recycling.
Mr Phillips, project co-ordinator, said: "Our students have done a fantastic job in collecting over 25,000 plastic bottle tops over the last month.
"A big thank you to the British Ironworks Centre for allowing us to be a part of their nationwide project.
"The students and staff of KEVI should all be very proud of themselves and the part every single one of them have played in this massive challenge.
"We hope that this project helps to demonstrate how individually, it can be difficult to see how the small bits of recycling we do can make a difference, but when the individual becomes part of a large community all striving for the same goal, real change can truly be made."
Collection boxes have been in place in each tutor room, and many students asked their wider family and friends to get involved as well.
Some of the students from the school's Eco Club took a lead with this project, and have engaged on an environmental level within and outside the school.
Lily Kenney, member of the Giraffe Project team, said: "I've really enjoyed being a part of this project, its been so nice getting involved and seeing the school come together to help us reach our goals.
"The giraffe team is really looking forward to putting the bottle tops to good use to create a lasting legacy within the school."
