Since the commissioning of a comprehensive carbon footprint analysis, Framlingham College has assertively cemented our responsibility to educate, equip and empower the young people of today in understanding the intricacies and implications of climate change.
One extraordinary, passionate environmental change maker is Year 10 pupil, Audrey N, who has taken the lead to steer the direction of the Framlingham College Responsible Schools Project (RSP) Student Committee and is fast becoming the face of the College’s sustainability agenda.
With a mission to help her peers better understand their impact on the planet, Audrey has outlined her next challenge – to reduce Framlingham College’s food waste.
Working closely with the catering department, Audrey and the project team have calculated that the College dispose of an average of 1.4 tonnes of food waste a month, which often includes plates of food untouched by pupils and staff.
Commenting on her latest environmental crusade, Audrey said: “The school’s food waste is a significant, but little regarded, problem amongst our pupils and staff. It is everyone’s responsibility to help drive a change because the behaviour of every individual has a huge impact.
“Our monthly food waste quantities equate to 3.5 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide, the equivalent of 35 car journeys from Framlingham to Carlisle. We need to reduce this waste urgently and we need everyone to recognise the role they play to make this happen.”
The solution – to ensure people only take what they will eat at every mealtime. If you won’t eat it, don’t take it.
“We have agreed with the catering department that the easiest route to help people contribute to the project success is to create a standard size portion for everyone with the option for people to ask for a larger portion if they wish to. This will significantly reduce our food waste output and might help make people think a little more about what they are putting on their plates.”
Catering Manager, Richard Johnston is 100% behind the project. “It’s no mean feat for Audrey as a 15-year-old to take on the role of environmental campaigner and influencer of her peers. We see a disturbing amount of food waste in our bins on a daily basis, which is not only disheartening from an environmental and cost perspective, but also for kitchen staff who spend a huge amount of time preparing and making home cooked meals for it to be thrown away without a care.
“We are all really enthused to work with Audrey and champion this change and look forward to supporting her to create a positive movement for this important issue.”
