School students take charge to beat plastic pollution and promote eco-friendly practices

Students of Apeejay School, Faridabad, Sector 15, gathered to raise awareness about the conservation of the environment on the occasion of the 50^th anniversary of World Environment Day. Students took the initiative to promote the usage of environment-friendly materials and make the school premises a zero-plastic zone.

World Environment Day is observed on June 5 every year to encourage action for the protection of the environment, often supported by both government and non-government entities, with participation from more than 143 countries annually. This year, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced the theme for World Environment Day as #BeatPlasticPollution.

“The world is being inundated by plastic. More than 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced every year, half of which are designed to be used only once. Of that, less than 10 per cent is recycled. An estimated 19-23 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers, and seas. Today, plastic clogs our landfills, leaches into the ocean, and is combusted into toxic smoke, making it one of the gravest threats to the planet… Many plastic products contain hazardous additives, which may pose a threat to our health.” mentions the official website of World Environment Day.

At Apeejay, the teachers planned fun activities for students to do their bit for the environment. Students from nursery to class V, for instance, were encouraged to use reusable bags instead of plastic ones and play games in the backyard and parks to connect with nature. As for the activities, they were asked to create beautiful DIY planters under parents’ supervision and make bird feeders. The students were asked to write about the steps they took to reduce waste and also create a slogan.

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Students of class VI-IX, on the other hand, designed beautiful posters on the theme of World Environment Day featuring a quote on protecting the natural environment. Some other students wrote about the 10 different ways to reduce plastic pollution while many of them painted t-shirts on the theme: “Beat Plastic Pollution” or “Save Energy as Energy Saved in Energy Generated”. The students also had the option to create beautifully crafted hanging gardens using glass or plastic bottles to promote the reuse of materials. Pictures of each of these activities were then sent to the respective class teachers.

The activities were thoroughly enjoyed by the students as they learnt more about the dire need to preserve environmental resources and reduce plastic pollution. Besides being engaging, the activities resonated with Apeejay’s mission to promote hands-on, experiential learning geared towards positively impacting their mindset.

Talking about the initiative, Anita Yadav, the school’s principal, said, “As a school, we always sensitise our students to address the global pressing issues, and taking care of our environment is one of them. Our students’ activism in raising awareness about sustainably managing our planet’s resources and ecosystem was praiseworthy.”