As you are already aware, our planet is currently being polluted by overwhelming amounts of waste plastic; In fact, it is currently estimated that by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish and other forms of sea life. When burned, plastic will release toxic chemicals which damage the health or surrounding people and wildlife - most plastic is non-compostable, which means that it can take thousands of years to break down, if ever.

Some plastics and plastic objects have had massive benefits for our health and standards of living, but it has become clear that humanity has become far too dependent on using plastic when it’s not necessary, which has lead to this immense increase of plastic pollution. 

West Hatch’s canteen, ‘snack shack’ and sixth form cafe all sell multiple food and drink items that come with plastic packaging, due to the nature of cold school lunch supplies around the country this is often difficult to avoid for schools, one of these items however is largely unnecessary and leads to massive amounts of waste plastic from West Hatch everyday. Bottled water. 

West Hatch possesses multiple water fountains and taps with drinkable water on site. Regardless of this, the school continues to buy and sell huge multipacks of Radnor Hills Spring plastic bottled water. All bundled and crated together in yet more plastic packaging. Given the easy access students have to drinkable water from fountains and taps, this is completely unnecessary.

When the school continues to purchase these crates or plastic bottled water, they are creating higher demand for these items and therefore increasing the rate at which these bottles are manufactured.

Furthermore, it should also be highlighted that West Hatch lacks clearly labelled recycling bins around common student communal areas, this means that most of these bottles after use are not recycled and instead go into the school’s mixed rubbish bins to simply go to landfill. 

Arguably, this change will not save the planet from the damage that has already been done by human kind, and it will be very difficult to eliminate all unnecessary single use plastics from school canteen’s nationwide, however, I do believe this is a small and simple change that can make a positive impact upon the world that the school’s students shall live the rest of their lives. 

To conclude, I will finalise in saying that I am proposing that West Hatch High School discontinues it’s purchase of Radnor Hills Spring Water and stops selling this product to it’s students, and instead encourages students to bring their own bottles into school to be refilled at the school’s water fountains and taps. I fail to see any valid reason as to why this proposal is in any way shape or form impossible or problematic of any sort.