Sunshine and Smiles at Edmondstown National School!

PRESS RELEASE

11TH SEPTEMBER 2009

There was sunshine and smiles all round as pupils, staff and parents at Edmonstown National School in Rathfarnham raised their first Green Flag for Waste and Litter on Friday 11^th September 2009. Mayor of South Dublin County Councillor Mick Duff attended the flag raising ceremony and he congratulated all at Edmonstown National School

The school was awarded the green flag after demonstrating they had implemented the seven steps of An Taisce?s Green Schools Programme. They drastically reduced waste from one and a half black bin liners per day for the whole school to just one small white bin bag per day. This was achieved by managing waste in a more environmentally friendly such as composting organic waste, recycling and reducing lunch waste.

The Mayor congratulated all at the school including the parents saying ?It is wonderful to hear that the parents and wider community support your green school endeavors like on your Day of Action which involved parents and pupils cleaning up the school grounds on a Saturday!?.

The Green Schools Committee made up of the pupils, staff and parents and the programme at the school was coordinated by Teacher Ami Fitzgerald.

Over 3,100 primary, secondary and special schools in Ireland are currently taking part in the programme and 1,465 have been awarded the Green Flag. The Irish Green-Schools programme is one of themost successful within the international network. One of the main factors in the success of the Irish Green-Schools programme is the partnership between the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and Local Authorities i.e.the financial and time contribution of the Local Authorities to the programme.

For further information contact Claire Hinch, Environmental Awareness Section

chinch@sdublincoco.ie