A PLAN has been hatched by pupils at Llanidloes Primary School to change the way free milk for children is delivered, in a bid to reduce the amount of plastic used.

Montgomeryshire MS, Russell George, met with children from Llanidloes Primary School’s Eco Committee, Belle, Reggie, Millie and Willow, to discuss their plans to reduce plastic waste when it comes to the provision of school milk.

The pupils detailed to Mr George that they receive 78 individual small plastic bottles of milk each day as part of a UK-wide scheme, which is part funded also by the Welsh Government.

The young pupils explained that the school uses 15,210 plastic milk containers each year with at a cost of £5,171.40.

The children said that if the milk was purchased in larger bottles locally, the difference in plastic used each year would equate to three times the weight of their teacher Mrs Stead.

There would also be a 50 per cent financial saving if reusable cups were used at the school.

Mr George raised their proposal with First Minister, Mark Drakeford, in the Senedd.

Mr George said: “I was very impressed by the children’s creative thinking and attitude to creating a more cost-effective way of doing things and by their commitment to being environmentally friendly.

“I was determined to take this idea to the First Minister and ask for his officials to work with the children and school, to consider running a pilot project.”

In response, Mr Drakeford said that it “is a remarkable combination of problem-solving skills that we saw from the students at Llanidloes”, and “we will find someone to talk directly to the school” about the idea.