An initiative has launched in Cork which aims to reduce the number of plastic bottles used in schools.

First introduced in 2020 by Cork County Council, the scheme provides schools with contactless water refill stations to encourage students and teachers to fill their reusable bottles with filtered water, reducing single-use plastic waste.

This year's scheme saw 10 primary and five secondary schools announced as the winners, bringing the total number of successful schools to 31.

The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Gillian Coughlan, said: "It is wonderful to see so many schools taking action against single-use plastics, preventing waste and in turn helping the environment. Plastic can only be recycled so many times which is why it is so important to make the switch to reusable alternatives. There was huge interest in this competition from schools right across Cork County which is why an additional 15 winners have been selected."

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Chief Executive of Cork County Council Tim Lucey added: "This initiative is making a real difference to the amount of waste being produced. A great example is Scoil Chaitigheirn in Eyeries, who no longer receive single-use plastic bottles of water as part of their School Meals Programme. This simple change to a water refill station has eliminated more than 400 single-use plastic bottles being discarded in the school every week."

The prize is worth approximately €1,300 to each school and includes a free water refill station and fitting. The contactless machine is operated by a sensor which recognises when a bottle is placed underneath. It also counts the number of refills.

Schools were assessed and scored on their need for a refill station and its potential to reduce single-use plastics. They also needed to show previous environmental measures implemented and commit to raising awareness about the initiative in the school and in the community.