A Lower Earley school celebrated Earth Day this year with a range of activities linked to the environment and sustainability.
As part of its sustainability action plan, Hawkedon Primary School used the day to focus on the main causes of pollution, and on its aims to reduce its energy, plastic and paper use.
Nikki Gladwin-Stride, extended services manager for the school, said: “Our catering company, Harrisons, created a meat-free menu for the day to support the idea of having a more sustainable diet.
“We also asked parents to find alternatives to single use plastic (bottles, cling film, plastic sandwich bags) by trying other possibilities such as sandwich and snack boxes, foil, drinks cartons or reusable bottles.”
“Farming has had a huge impact on air pollution through the release of methane gas from animals, and deforestation to make way for farmland has meant the loss of habitats for wildlife.
“And although some plastics can be recycled, a huge amount is unable to go through the recycling process, which means they are sent to landfill or can make their way into our natural environment.”
Earth Day is on April 22.
The first was celebrated in 1970 and it now takes place in more than 192 countries around the world.
The theme for this year’s Earth Day for 2025 was ‘Our Power, Our Planet’, focusing on renewable and cleaner energy use.
“We have appointed Eco Champions from each class who help drive this ethos forward,” Ms Gladwin-Stride continued.
“We follow our Eco Code of Conduct : Rethink, Reuse, Reuse, Recycle.”
For part of the afternoon, Hawkedon Primary conducted a whole-school ‘switch off’ where all lights, interactive whiteboards, and computers were turned off to promote the idea of conserving energy.
For information, visit: hawkedon.wokingham.sch.uk
