Aspire’s Champions: The Sustainability Scoop
This month is Plastic Free July — a global movement that encourages people to be part of the solution to plastic pollution. And to honour it, we chatted with one of our dedicated Environmental and Sustainability Champions, Emma Waller, to find out what the role is all about.
“Going remote solved some problems, but threw up other challenges...”
Embracing the environment
Environmental and Sustainability Champ is not Emma’s only title at Aspire; day to day, she works in Internal Quality Assurance, and has done for 5 years. Emma loves her job, stating, “I really like that I can prioritise quality in my role and have time to develop the curriculum. I’ve been in other positions where QA was an add-on, but here, it’s defined”.
Emma applied for the Champion position when she noticed the excessive paper use and lack of recycling facilities at our sites. But just as she took up the mantle, Covid hit, and Aspire began teaching almost fully remotely. “Going remote solved some problems but threw up other challenges,” she recalls. So, they had to put their heads together and come up with some creative solutions.
“It’s important for people to know the small steps they can take that will make a big impact.”
Advocating for awareness
Our Sustainability Champions proactively align with global initiatives, like Plastic Free July and No Mow May, raising awareness among the team and creating resources that tutors can use to embed sustainability into our curriculum.
A standout success was Stop Food Waste Day back in April. Our tutors delivered a resource to their learners about ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates, leading to an increased awareness about sustainable consumption and a reduction in food waste.
Sustainability in education
So, why is it important to raise awareness in a classroom setting?
Emma explains, “It’s important for people to know the small steps they can take that will make a big impact”. Raising awareness and helping people to understand what it truly means to live sustainably is the key to long-lasting change.
3 easy ways to be more environmentally friendly:
While Emma is passionate about sustainability, she acknowledges that she’s not perfect. But, as for those small steps that make a big impact, she has the following handy tips:
1. Buy loose veg
It may sound small, but many products come with nature’s own packaging, and we’re all going to give them a scrub before we eat them anyway (right?). So, one way to make a change is to steer away from that pre-plastic-bagged produce where possible.
2. Use a renewable coffee cup
Did you know that takeaway coffee cups are plastic lined? And that there are only a few plants in the UK that are able to recycle them? An easy way to reduce your impact on the environment is to use your own recyclable cup. And, as an added bonus, you’ll often receive a discount too!
3. BYOB(ags)
Since the plastic bag charge came into effect nearly a decade ago, there has been a substantial drop in their use (95%!). But it can be easy to forget to bring your stash of ‘bags for life’. Having some in your car or keeping them by the front door can save you a step while also saving the planet. And did you know that when your bag for life wears out, you can often take it back to the retailer for a replacement free of charge?
We’re grateful to our Environmental and Sustainability Champions for their hard work in raising awareness within our organisation. If you’d like to see more about what we do over at Aspire Education Academy, check out our socials via the links below.