Green schools give lesson in recycling

A SCHOOL which has virtually eliminated its waste output and grows its own vegetables was presented with its first green flag yesterday.

Gaelscoil Sheáin Uí Éigeartaigh in Cobh, Co Cork, was among dozens of schools honoured by An Taisce’s Green Flag Schools Office for their environmental management and education practices.

Eibhlís Carcione, the green flag co-ordinator at the 157-pupil, seven-teacher school, said they were delighted.

“We have reduced our waste to virtually nothing,” she said. “Everything is recycled — including paper and plastic. Organic waste is composted and used in our school garden where we grow pumpkins and fruit trees.”

She paid tribute to the school’s committee which includes the principal, the school caretaker parents and 13 students. She travelled to Dublin yesterday with sixth-class students Rachael Ní Dhonnabháin and Ellen Nic Dhiarmada and teaching assistant Mairín Uí Laodhcha to accept the international award.

Up to 115 schools will receive the award over the next two weeks bringing to over 1,000 the total number of Irish schools flying green flags.

They fly one sixth of all such flags awarded internationally in 37 countries participating.

Green Schools manager Cathy Joyce said it is great to see so many schools making real reductions in their environmental impacts.

“We can all learn so much from how schools have taken on the challenges of environmental management,” she said.

Nearly half our schools are involved in the scheme.

A total of 651 schools have implemented the programme successfully and have been awarded green flags. Green Schools is supported by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Dublin Transportation Office and sponsored by the waste management company Greenstar, Coca Cola Bottlers Ireland and The Wrigley Co Ltd.

*greenschoolsireland.org