The Eco Alliance

Eleanor and Annie, pupils at Wycliffe College, created an eco-society called The Eco Alliance in the Senior School to influence people about how their actions could affect the environment and give tips on how individuals can become more eco-friendly.

Their aim is not to criticise but to encourage others to make small changes to their lifestyle and Wycliffe that will positively impact the environment. Changes we have already made around school include changing the non-recyclable plastic cups to reusable glass cups to reduce plastic usage.

We have introduced recycling bins around campus, one by the Sports Hall and another at the top of the main drive. The Wycliffe Eco Alliance presented at the chapel to inform people about fast fashion, a huge problem that needs to be more widely recognised as polluting. The fast fashion industry produces approximately one billion items of clothing annually, producing 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. Many people need to be made aware of this industry’s size, which is the world’s second-largest polluter. We asked teachers around school how they would help the environment by changing their lifestyle, with some responses received including cutting down on the amount of meat they eat and buying second-hand clothes. Our current projects include making posters encouraging pupils to turn off lights and making reusable bags out of old T-shirts. Our intentions are for pupils to take one before going to town in an attempt to cut down on plastic. We meet in the art block on a Monday lunch period if anyone has any suggestions for us to consider.