Newark Castle Rotary Club project to build eco-greenhouses out of recycled plastic bottles finishes at Claypole Church of England Primary School

A project promoted by Newark Castle Rotary Club to build eco-greenhouses for schools out of recycled plastic bottles has completed its final greenhouse at Claypole Church of England Primary School.

Mr Derek Rossin, a founder member of Newark Castle Rotary, said this was the 17th greenhouse built for the club’s project, an idea that originated in the East Midlands and was rolled out by Rotary branches across the UK.

“It’s been tremendous really. We’ve re-used something like 21,000 two-litre plastic bottles that the schoolchildren have collected, around 1,300 per school, so they learn something important about recycling,” he said.

“And we recently went back to Farndon Primary School, where the head teacher showed us how they had bought a wheelbarrow and also grown lettuces, carrots and flowers for the benefit of the children.”

Farndon was the first local school to get an eco-greenhouse back in June 2016. Mr Rossin said the project had delivered educational benefits as well as edible ones, showing pupils that produce comes from the soil and not just from the supermarket.

Local companies sponsored the £275 cost of fixtures and fittings for each greenhouse and loaned staff to erect them. Claypole injection moulding company Rototek sponsored the last one. Other companies taking part have included Pratt and Gelsthorpe, Duncan and Toplis, Veolia and Bakkavor.