Click on the link to watch our One Good Idea film on how to take climate action in the laundry room.

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5twzyJnIdaU
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In October 2019, for Climate Action Week we took part in the 'Do One Good Thing' campaign for climate action. The Green School committee encouraged pupils to make one small change in their habits to help tackle climate change. Ideas included refusing plastic straws in restaurants, having a meatless day once a week, taking shorter showers, turning off lights and switching off chargers when devices are charged. We held a poster/slogan competition highlighting climate action.

As part of our One Good Idea campaign, we up cycled old t-shirts into tote bags. We used old t-shirts that were no longer in use. We cut out the sleeves to make the handles and made the neck larger to place items into the bag when it was finished. We cut fringes into the bottom of the t-shirt and then tied knots with the fringed pieces of material to create the bottom of the bag. There wasn't a needle or thread in sight and everyone seemed to enjoy posing with their wares afterwards.

The One Good Idea is a competition about taking small steps to tackle Climate Change by SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland). It runs every year and is open to both primary and secondary schools throughout Ireland and this we decided to enter as part of our Biodiversity Green School Flag. Our campaign is about keeping our clothes for longer to help tackle climate change. The growth and production of our clothes has a huge impact on the environment through emissions, water usage and chemical waste. Some facts!!!!! 
Often air travel is the first thing we think of when we think of green fashion due to large CO2 emissions but other things get overlooked.
Each year, 10% of the world's pesticides and 25% of insecticides are sprayed on the cotton plant, harming people, animals and the environment.The cotton plant is a very thirsty plant and uses up to 10,000L of water to grow 1KG of cotton. 2,700L of water is used to make one cotton t-shirt. On the other hand, we have man made polyester which takes more than 70 million barrels of oil to produce polyester every year and is not biodegradable. One third of clothing production emissions come from China as they rely on fossil fuels to manufacture clothes and China is one of the top four importers of both polyester and cotton clothing to Ireland.
 If we can keep our clothes for longer, we reduce the need to buy more clothes and as a result, avoid all of the harmful effects on the environment.  In keeping our clothes for longer, we reduce the amount of clothes dumped in landfills. Currently, 3 out of 5 t-shirts are disposed of within one year into landfills, leaching chemicals into the environment.
Simple action can further reduce energy and water usage and save you money at the same time. This all happens inside your laundry room. One 60 degree wash uses the same amount of energy as five 30 degree washes. Of the energy used in a washing machine, 90% is used to heat the water and 10% is used to run the motor. One load in the tumble dryer uses the same amount of energy used in FIVE loads of washing!! If we can make little changes, we can save huge amounts of energy and keep our clothes for longer.

1. Wear clothes more than once before washing.
2. Wash full loads on shorter cycles.
3. Wash on 30 degrees. Dark colours like cool water as it keeps the colour for longer.
4. Ditch the tumble dryer and air dry your clothes outdoors. We have great weather for the drying!!
5. Air drying reduces the need to iron. 
6. Reuse and up cycle your clothes.