Pupils’ plastic pick-up project

A GROUP of second-year pupils from Colaiste Muire in Ennis are trying to change attitudes about the use of plastic packaging.
Every Sunday since September, the six 14-year-olds go to Doonbeg Beach with members of their families and collect plastic waste off the beach. They encourage others on the beach to do likewise.
Colette Reddington, a teacher at Colaiste Muire, who is assisting the girls with the project, explained that the idea came when one of the pupils saw butter cartons on Clare beaches earlier this year. “The cartons came from one of seven containers which were washed overboard from the coaster, BG Dublin south of Tramore last January. She told some of her friends about the butter cartons and they began to think that it’s not the beaches that are dirty but what is washed in from the sea,” she said.
The pupils plan to enter their project into an Eco Unesco competition for school environmental projects.
Since their Sunday beach collections began the group of girls has found all kinds of things from plastic wrappers, veterinary materials and all kinds of packaging.
“Last weekend, the pupils had a stall at the craft fair in Doonbeg, encouraging people to think more about using biodegradable packaging, especially as a lot of it seems to end up in the sea and being washed up on beaches,” Ms Reddington added.
Eco Unesco were also due to visit the school on Wednesday to hold an environmental workshop with pupils. This is all part of their campaign to get young people involved in environmental projects.