A STUDENT is leading the way in bringing more environmentally friendly alternatives to East Lothian schools.

Ben Kean, an S1 student at Tranent’s Ross High School, wrote to East Lothian Council asking them to introduce recyclable materials to the school catering service to reduce waste.

And he has succeeded with his wish, not just in his own school but in schools across the county.

Ben was invited to a sit-down meeting with Councillor Shamin Akhtar, cabinet member for education; Pamela Fraser, from the council’s faculty management team; and Tracey Frame, the Ross High School kitchen supervisor, to discuss the best way to make environmentally friendly changes.

Ben said: “I think that by going eco-friendly in our canteens, our schools and East Lothian as a whole can make a great impact on our environment.

“Only nine per cent of plastic is recycled and there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050.

“I love looking after the environment and I think that by removing plastics in our canteens we can change the world, not just East Lothian.”

Ms Akhtar said: “I was so impressed with Ben’s passion for introducing more green options within the school.

“It’s something that he has given a great deal of thought to and it was great to sit down with him to go through different ideas and materials. We’re going to be working with Ben and other pupils in the coming months to improve the green options available to them.

“Our facilities and catering teams are proud of the wide range of tasty, healthy and good-value meals that we offer in our schools. This is another way that we can improve the service that we provide while making a positive contribution to the environment.

“We’re grateful to Ben for his interest and ideas.”