Interview with school

On Wednesday, 17 January, we talked to a concierge of ours (Maerlant Lyceum). We wanted to

know if there is a school policy for plastic recycling or using alternatives to plastic. We had a small
conversation for about 1-2 minutes. During that little chat, we found out that Maerlant Lyceum cares
a lot about recycling. They believe we should learn to be disciplined about it from a young age. The
school uses cups made of glass instead of plastic, which helps reduce how much plastic we, at
Maerlant use. The most common plastic items at school are food packaging, plastic bags and drink
bottles.

As we mentioned, Maerlant Lyceum has always liked the idea of being environmentally friendly, so
they (we all) are working to make the school ‘green’. We have special bins for recycling plastic,
throwing away paper, and general waste. The picture below shows what our school’s recycling bins
really look like.

If we have the opportunity to contribute to the school’s plastic policy, we would like to add 3
aspects. First of all, we think that schools should collaborate with local environmental organizations.
Mostly, students understand ‘recycle’ as simply throwing used plastic bottles to the plastic recycling
bins. However, we think that students should also know more about what will happen afterwards.
And through collaboration, students might have the chance to receive gifts, such as a water bottle
from the company. This could inspire them to use the bottle instead of opting for a new plastic cup
at school.

Second of all, we all agree that schools should organize parties, events, or gala without using plastic.
We’ve attended a few school parties and noticed that most drink cups from the bar are made of
plastic. So why don’t we host a plastic-free party? On one hand, students enjoy attending parties,
and on the other hand, through these fun events, they can also learn a lot.

Finally, we also think that schools should clearly explain the rules and consequences if people don’t
follow them about using plastic. This way, students and teachers will take it seriously, and we can
work together to make Maerlant the best eco-friendly school.