Schools in Bucks and Herts make uniform eco-friendly
Schools in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire making steps to help people become sustainable
Schools in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire have been going the extra mile to make kitting children out for the new academic year more eco-friendly.
Two schools in Buckinghamshire were the first to get on board with the 'Uniformd' initiative, where parents can purchase second-hand uniforms for their children's schools online.
The nationwide platform launched a year ago, and since then, 10 schools from Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire have got involved to help make buying uniforms more sustainable for the environment.
The initiative is free, and the money the platform makes goes back into the schools which sign up to the marketplace.
The impact on the planet
The main problem with children's clothing is that it needs to be regularly repurchased as they develop over the years. With uniform being an essential part of going to school, a large portion often wasted and ends up in landfill sites across the UK, meaning that it is adding to the carbon footprint.
Experts have said that by shopping second-hand it stops pre-existing clothing which is in good quality being wasted, and additionally reduces the demand for brand new uniforms.
The founder of Uniformd Anna Wright noted that the schools adopting a second-hand approach helps to spread the importance of sustainability. She said:
"A lot of the schools will promote the green agenda, recycling and also the practical fact that every parent and carer has a load of uniform sitting in drawers that their children have outgrown. The biggest challenge is making sure that the uniform is used for as long as possible."
She added:
"I think there are thousands of items of uniform that get thrown away as the child outgrows it, and so this is a means to keep wearable uniform in use."