Every piece of plastic that has ever been manufactured is still on the planet. And will remain so.

This is the reality. This is great if we use a product over and over again, give it to someone else to make use of, use it for a different purpose or, where possible, take it to a facility which has the means to recycle it into something new or different. But, as we all know, this does not always happen. Plastic litters our planet and it won’t go away.

As we approach Christmas why not consider ways in which you might cut down on your plastic, particularly that which is single use. Do you really need all those plastic bottles in your bathroom? There are bars of soap specially made to replace shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and shaving foam, which can be easily sourced locally or online. They are much more cost-effective, saving you money. Why not give as a gift this year and motivate others to do the same? Vegan soap can be purchased in school from our Dragon’s Den students all this week.

Many of our students regularly bring drinks into school in plastic bottles which they throw in the bin. Although students from Inclusion have set up collection points for these, chiefly around areas where food is consumed, it would be much better if people could take responsibility for their own plastic. It can be easily taken home to a recycling bin. Better still, avoid buying drinks bottles which cannot be reused.

In 2016 alone, around 335 million tonnes of plastic were produced worldwide; the equivalent of two million blue whales. Enough plastic enters landfill each year to circle the world four times.

So let’s see if we can make at least one change in our habits this Christmas and reduce our demand for plastic. Let’s all do our bit to stop filling our planet with litter.