31 May 2012

School gets used tyres to build herb garden
Children at a school in Cwmbran will soon be exercising their green fingers after being given 20 used tyres and £50 to spend on plants and soil.

Renault Cardiff general sales manager Darren Bowen wanted to find a way of recycling old tyres that would help both education and the environment.

He approached St David£s Primary School in Cwmbran which took the tyres for the children to paint and plant vegetables and herbs in.

St David£s School headteacher Sheelagh McColl said the tyres provided the school with a tool to encourage the children to look after the environment and take an interest in plant and flowers, and to see how they attract wildlife.

Ms McCool said: £We would like to say a big thank you to Renault for their kind donation. We would love to be able to purchase more plants, soil, and garden pots for our peace garden and outdoor living classrooms, but our budget is very tight, and therefore we would be grateful for any donations from local garden centres and other suppliers.£

She added: £We believe if we encourage children now to take care of the environment and promote in them a sense of wellbeing and pride when they see the plants grow and flourish, it will help them take an interest when they are older.£

Mr Bowen said he was delighted to see used tyres being found a new purpose in the local community.

£We have to dispose of 10 used tyres a day. Schools are always short of money and I am more than happy to deliver the tyres free of charge for the children to help with projects such as road safety and how they can grow their own herbs and vegetables,£ he said.

Around 100,000 tyres are changed every day in the UK. They are often reused in the engineering industry as drainage and collection systems in landfills, or used as a resurfacing material.

Used tyres have proved to be a cost-effective material in many gardens and projects including coastal defences and crash barriers at motor racing circuits.

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