Northampton College has underlined its commitment to the environment by going green' and stopping the sale of single-use plastic bottles of water in its canteen.
The move has seen students heavily involved in the design and sale of new reusable college-branded water bottles ' helping to cut down on plastic waste and further reduce the college's carbon footprint.
The bottles, which are being sold for £2, replace individual bottles of water previously sold for 70p, helping students save money at the same time as protecting the environment.
Pat Brennan-Barrett, principal of Northampton College, said: As part of our continued drive to minimise plastic waste and reduce our carbon footprint, we are introducing reusable college-branded water bottles for both students and staff.
We want to raise awareness of the issue of single use plastic and show our students that we all have a role to play in helping to protect our planet. If all of us make a small but significant change it can add up into something far bigger.
Every year 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced and 40 per cent of it is single-use, meaning it is only used once before being thrown away.
More than eight million tonnes of plastic enters the world's seas each year, with most of that coming from land. However, the majority of man-made plastics are not bio-degradable, meaning they will not rot.
For sea birds and large marine creatures, the danger comes from being entangled in plastic bags and other debris, or mistaking plastic for food. Larger pieces of plastic can also damage the digestive systems of animals and can be potentially fatal.
The reusable bottles are being sold in The Lookout, Northampton College's canteen area, with business students involved in selling the bottles.
