Take Action Burlington

Students at one of Burlington’s certified Gold Ontario EcoSchools are taking the “Make every day Earth Day” mantra to heart.  M.M. Robinson’s EcoClub members recognized an issue at their school and through their effort made a difference across the Halton District School Board.

Thank you to Caitlin Boutros and Heather Howell, teachers at M.M. Robinson High School, for reaching out and sharing their story.

In early March, a group of motivated and passionate students, part of M. M. Robinson’s EcoClub called the EcoRams, took an environment issue into their own hands.  Sarah Homsi, Caroline Mahut, Emileigh Semach, Jessica Schummer, and Sharon Khavine-Binstock went to the board office to present to the Superintendent of Facility Services and the Regional Supervisor, Plant Operations.  Their presentation brought attention to the issues surrounding the use of coffee pods in our school cafeterias and the unnecessary waste they create.  Their presentation included research, data collected from MMR’s coffee pod usage, and petitions from students around the school board speaking out against this problem.

As a result, there has been a policy change regarding the proper disposal of coffee pods in Halton Schools.  Compass Group Canada has worked with VanHoutte (the school board’s supplier of coffee pods) to initiate a sorting and pick up plan for the coffee pods in the schools in the Halton District School Board.  These students took it upon themselves to act against something they believed in strongly.  It is fantastic to see young people take initiative – especially when it makes our school communities and the Halton District School Board a more healthy and environmentally friendly place.

Congratulations M.M. Robinson EcoRams for taking action. You’ve shown us that if we work together, collectively we can make a difference to reduce our environmental footprint.