Nov. 02, Kathmandu (Online Bahas)
An Eco Club was formed at MaryBert School after the successful completion of the Workshop on Plastic Free School by ICA Nepal. Students are now eager to join hands to develop plastic-free schools. In a program on Plastic Free School, conducted by the ICA Nepal Environment Team today at MaryBert School, Koteshwor, Kathmandu, students raised strong voices to curb plastic pollution. 

Kathmandu alone uses up to 4,800,000 plastic bags a day and 4,800,000 tons of this non-biodegradable material is dumped in landfill sites. Children play a crucial role in developing and implementing new practices if nurtured with proper knowledge and awareness, as they are the future generations who will be affected by today's impact on Climate Crisis. 

ICA Nepal organized a Workshop on 'Plastic Free School' which was facilitated by Ms. Swikriti Parajuli and Ms. Karuna Mahat along with technical support from Ms. Samjhana Shahi.  The session was organized to promote Plastic Free Schools and teach students the importance of 3R Practices. The seminar was participated by a total of 23 students from grades 3 to 5 with age groups ranging from 9 to 13.

The workshop emphasized adopting plastic alternatives, minimizing single-use plastic, and highlighting the history and disadvantages of plastic pollution along with its consumption and degradation pattern across the globe. The program highlighted the behavior pattern and reflection after the workshops and waste segregation methodology to ensure Plastic Free Classrooms. 

One of the students Pragyan Pokharel shared; "I have now started to not litter the public places and shared the idea with my friends as well, if we see trash we now pick it up and throw it at the nearest dustbin or else take home". The program on Plastic Free School has empowered and aware students aware of plastic from the root level. The students participated in the Group Activity where they differentiated various practices for Good Earth and Bad Earth along with a video presentation and discussions on Biodegradable wastes and Non-biodegradable wastes.   

Further, highlighting the Green School Guidelines designed by the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, Nepal in 2018, an Eco-Club was formed. The mission statement for the club was Plastic Free School. The eco club members were elected in the presence of the school committee along with the selection of a few activities to be carried out by the club along with the distribution of rules and responsibilities among club members. 

The Eco Club was handed over 3 different types of dustbins for waste segregation and management along with a Single Use Plastic Free Zone Sign. The formed eco club will perform various environmental-related programs on the school premises mainly focusing on the transfer of knowledge and awareness sessions to junior students and promoting Plastic Free School.
The students were more than happy to act as primary activists in the school to raise awareness about plastic pollution and minimize the single use of plastic. The students and teachers' group expressed their gratitude for the session and their excitement for leveraging positive change. The session was concluded by taking group photos and thanking the school for the coordination.