To combat the growing plastic pollution crisis, Cool Milk have teamed up with a local school to trial key improvements to our milk delivery scheme aimed at cutting single-use plastic waste and educating children as to the danger discarded plastic poses to the environment.
We joined forces with the Lincoln Carlton Academy to raise awareness of the negative environmental impact single-use plastic waste is having on a global scale and show how small changes can make a big difference – such as how the children enjoy their daily milk entitlement.
Previously, the Academy had distributed the milk to their pupils in individual 189ml cartons, each with a plastic straw and wrapper. Whilst the cartons can be recycled, this depends entirely on the local authority’s recycling facilities and the school’s private refuse collection arrangements.
We provided the school with reusable, fully recyclable bottles to remove a significant amount of plastic waste associated with the children’s daily milk entitlement, both from cartons that cannot be easily recycled, as well as completely eliminating the need for plastic straws and their wrapping. We even personalised each bottle for every individual child, to help the children identify their specific bottle and easily acclimatise to the change.
“At Lincoln Carlton Academy, we are proud to have trialled the use of reusable milk bottles,” enthused Mrs Malam, Headteacher.
“The children have loved having their own personalised bottles. Children at LCA love milk and understand how it is one of the healthiest drinks they can have. One of the children told me that she loves her bottle as it’s got her name on it, and she loves how milk makes her bones healthy.”
A child at LCA enjoying their milk
For their role in reducing plastic waste through the scheme, the Academy was made the inaugural winner of the School and Nursery Milk Alliance’s School of the Month award. Dr Hilary Jones, famed spokesperson for the SNMA, congratulated the Academy personally on their achievement. Click here to see the video.
“We really value being able to help reduce the carbon footprint in our own small way ,” added Mrs Malam. “Let’s hope other schools follow in our footsteps and have reusable bottles themselves very soon.”
If you’d like to learn more about Cool Milk’s efforts to reduce waste and improve the environment, please see our Environmental Improvement Plan.