THE chair of the Environment Agency recently launched the new Speakers for Schools — Plastics programme in Bude ahead of the Great British Plastics Challenge launch.

Launching on World Oceans Day on Friday, June 8, the Great British Plastics Challenge is a national campaign from the charity Speakers for Schools in partnership with Business in the Community and the Environment Agency that will use the help of over 35 leading figures to go into schools across the UK to speak about the issue of plastic waste, what their organisation is doing about plastic pollution and their personal commitment to help tackle the plastics issue. These are influential figures who are shaping environmental attitudes in business, politics, culture and society, who will take part in school events to help persuade students why they should join the plastics challenge this summer.

The challenges are three ways students, speakers and anyone can reduce their plastic footprint, which launched last Friday, asking participants to use social media to share their pledge with #PlasticsChallenge.

A few of the supporting speakers included Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency; Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency; Mike Coupe, CEO of Sainsbury’s; Jeremy Darroch, CEO of Sky Plc and chairman of Business in the Community; Amanda Mackenzie, CEO of Business in the Community; Roz Savage, ocean rower and environmental advocate; Peter Simpson, CEO of Anglian Water; Tanya Steel, CEO of WWF; Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland; Sarah Weir, CEO of Design Council, and more.

On June 7 a schedule for Budehaven School in Bude included making art from micro-plastics for World Ocean Day, a visit from representatives from the Environment Agency, a visit to the school’s sustainability garden, finishing with a visit to Boscastle and Crackington Gig Clubs at Boscastle.

For World Ocean Day, there was an Environment Agency event taking place on Summerleaze beach in Bude, again involving the school.