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Parkgate Primary Raises the Green Flag With First Eco Uniform

Parkgate Primary pupil Leighton Jones has started the ball rolling on his school becoming the first in the area to offer an Eco school uniform.

Leighton Jones is a Parkgate Eco warrior.

Leighton, aged 9, is an Eco Warrior at the Earth Group at Neston Community Youth Centre*. He was inspired by the new sportswear trainers that are made from discarded plastic found in the world's oceans.  His lightbulb moment was 'why can't they make school uniforms from plastic?'

Leighton calculated how much uniform he will go through while at Parkgate Primary and knew he had to do something.  With assistance from his parents, Helen and Kris, Leighton found a company - David Luke - that can make a school jumper or cardigan out of three plastic bottles.

Parkgate's Eco uniform will fly the green flag badge.

Manchester-based David Luke's Eco story started in 2010 when they began developing the first ever Eco-uniform in a fabric made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. All the garments in David Luke's Eco-uniform range contain polyester made from non-biodegradable plastic drinking bottles; bottles that would otherwise end up in landfill. Each item consists of part or total polyester content made from the bottles. The company says it has saved over 20 million 2L plastic bottles from going to landfill in the past five years.

As well as a reduction of landfill, the total process of producing polyester in this way also uses less energy and reduces CO2 emissions.

One of the slides from the presentation on Eco uniforms that Leighton has prepared for his school.

Leighton ordered a new Eco Jumper in the Parkgate blue colour from ToBe in Neston and took his idea and his own presentation to the school's head teacher Mr Hutchins who was very impressed with the idea. The presentation will be shared with the whole school this week.

Thanks to Leighton's efforts, Eco uniforms for Parkgate pupils will available to order at ToBe in Neston from Friday 25 October, proudly flying the green flag badge denoting sustainability.

*Neston Community Youth Centre is actively encouraging young people to become Eco Warriors as part of their Neston Earth Group initiative.  For more information, you can go along to an Earth Group meeting on November 4 (details here) or contact co-ordinator Zaria Shreef on 0151 336 7805 or by email.

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Comments

Andy B

At 11:52 on 25th October 2019, Andy B commented:

Excellent. But not wanting to pour cold water etc. did I read some time ago that clothing made from recycled plastic (fleece?) give off plastic microfibres when washed? These fibres eventually end up in the sea and can be injested by many sea creatures and enter the food chain!

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