Sustainability
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Created by a teacher
What are we doing so far
As a business that works with schools around the world, we are conscious of our environmental footprint and are taking measures to reduce it.
Although we agree that there are many things in life which should be paperless, some things are still wonderful as tangible objects to be shared and cherished.
Watching children and staff in the corridors discussing challenges in the filled-in workbooks, sharing stories and new skills learned is a joy to see! Children are so proud of their work and love to see it being displayed around the school.
However, we are aware that we use a lot of paper to create these workbooks and we produce carbon dioxide as they are delivered around the world!
Therefore, we have that in mind when we make every decision and we ensure that a proportion of the money each child pays to take part, goes towards replanting trees so that we may capture some of the carbon dioxide we produce!
Our Carbon Footprint
In the early years, I used a print company near my school because it was convenient.
Convenience can be a mistake. I had no idea that they outsourced their print jobs and my workbooks would arrive from England on a lorry. That company created lovely smooth covers for my workbooks and I thought they looked great but little did I know about the environmental impact.
Looking for a sustainable solution to the outsourcing, I made the decision to move to a local print company. My new local boys are fabulous and print everything in-house. They then showed me a roll of plastic laminate and told me that I had been using at least 10km of the stuff each year to make the silky covers! I was shocked and horrified and immediately made the decision to ditch the plastic!
My printers source their paper sensibly and they package in a totally plastic-free fashion.
We personally deliver all of the workbooks to a local warehouse where everything is packaged and shipped. I love that everything happens within 3 miles of my house and lots of local people gain employment because of the Junior Duke.
Future Plans
We are proud partners of Trees for Life, who support rewilding initiatives across vulnerable areas of Scotland. The overhanging trees they plant help to improve the health of Scotland’s rivers and reduce the rate at which the water is heating up.
Each year, a proportion of the money paid by each child buying into the Award is donated to a charity called Trees for Life.
We are pleased to be playing a part in helping to heal our atmosphere as well as people's lives. Because of the Junior Duke, over 10,000 trees have been planted this year alone! The charity runs week-long 'Rewild and Recover Residentials'. These weeks provide the support and friendships that help people to explore their emotions and rebuild self-belief in new, often life-changing ways. People are able to then use their experiences of rewilding to face the difficulties in their lives.
Trees for Life is an excellent charity but we are always looking for additional carbon-capturing methods to help with our sustainability promise so please let us know if there are other reputable charities we should contact to find out more.
Our sustainability promise
As an organisation, we commit to taking action to reduce our environmental impact and improve our carbon footprint. We aim to positively influence children whilst helping to provide them with a better, greener future.
As part of our challenges, we commit to teaching children the importance of sustainability and fostering a feeling of responsibility for the planet. Current challenge examples include:
- Working out your carbon footprint and finding ways to reduce it
- Growing something to eat
- Looking for ways to measure and reduce food waste
- Recording water and electricity use, and working to actively reduce the amount
- Creating a garden for pollinators
- Understanding, considering & reducing food miles
We promise to:
- Sustainability promise point 1
- Sustainability promise point 2
- Sustainability promise point 3
- Sustainability promise point 4
- Sustainability promise point 5
- Sustainability promise point 6