DUBAI, 21st March 2022: Swiss International Scientific School Dubai (SISD) has already been making a big splash ahead of World Water Day, a celebration of water that takes place globally on 22 March.  The school will be having a giant pledge board in reception and asking all members of the community to sign the pledge to commit to the water initiative from 18 March.

 

Widely known as a sustainable school, students at the school are being actively encouraged to bring to school their own bottles and refill them at the no less than 44 communal water fountains located at key spots on campus. 

 

The school has calculated that this alone will save around 25,000 500ml water bottles each month, which is something that the school has been acting on for a number of years and is line with the aims of the Dubai Can, an initiative launched in February 2022 by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai with an aim to reduce single-use plastic water bottle waste in the city.

Dubai Can is also taking the steps to create awareness around water and plastic bottle waste, but on a much larger scale and throughout Dubai, of which SISD is proud to be taking part.  

 

“The school has been encouraging pupils to refill their own bottles since it opened seven years ago,” said Ruth Burke, Principal at SISD. “We are delighted to be saving over 25,000 single-use water bottles per month, and in the hot months this increases to over 40,000.

“As a sustainable school, initiatives like this are a key part of our education; instilling a sense of responsibility and passion for the protection of our planet in our students,” added Mrs Burke.

Helen Milner, Sustainability Coordinator at SISD, reveals how SISD’s efforts to create water awareness and single-use plastic bottle waste begin early. “From age three years old, all students are encouraged to bring their own water bottle and refill at school. The sports hall is certainly where the most water is consumed, and this initiative fully supports our mission for healthy and active students.”

 The cause has also caught the attention of the secondary school students at SISD, who are creating a competition that aims to actively encourage students to design a SISD water bottle and coffee cup for use by both students and staff to help further reduce the use of single-use plastic in the school.