Plastic water bottle in high schools - update of FOI 662466

Summary

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture responded to a request regarding single-use plastic policies and water bottle sales in Isle of Man secondary schools, disclosing specific sales figures and infrastructure details for five schools while stating individual green policies were not held.

Key Facts

• The Department does not have a separate single-use plastics policy but follows the DESC Climate Change Plan 2024-25.
• St Ninians High School reported the highest weekly sales of plastic water bottles with 1,996 flavoured and 628 still bottles.
• Ramsey Grammar School does not sell plastic water bottles, offering only cartons.
• All five secondary schools confirmed they promote the use of reusable water bottles.
• Individual school green/plastic policies were not disclosed as the authority does not hold this specific information.

Data Disclosed

• 1307
• 608
• 1350
• 642
• 451
• 1996
• 628
• 2025-11-07
• 2025-12-04
• 2024-25
• 2022
• 2018
• 9
• 8
• 4

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held or cannot be found after taking reasonable steps

Original Request

What is the Department's policy on single use plastics? For each secondary school, please provide the following information:  - How many plastic water bottles are sold to pupils in a typical week? - Is tap water available in the canteen?  - How many drinking fountains are available in the school?  - Does the school promote the use of reusable water bottles?  - What are the individual schools Green/plastic policies? - Have there been and improvements to the schools Single use plastic waste since 2018?  - how much profit do the schools make of the sale of plastic water bottles?  - Have any schools been made aware of their plastic consumption by internal of external peoples?

Data Tables (10)

Full Response Text

Policy, Strategy and Governance Department of Education, Sport and Culture Thie Slieau Whallian Foxdale Road St Johns IM4 3AS

Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im

Our ref: 5069018 4 December 2025

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 7 November 2025, which states:

"What is the Department's policy on single use plastics? For each secondary school, please provide the following information:
- How many plastic water bottles are sold to pupils in a typical week? - Is tap water available in the canteen?
- How many drinking fountains are available in the school?
- Does the school promote the use of reusable water bottles?
- What are the individual schools Green/plastic policies? - Have there been and improvements to the schools Single use plastic waste since 2018?
- how much profit do the schools make of the sale of plastic water bottles?
- Have any schools been made aware of their plastic consumption by internal of external peoples?"

Our response to your request is as follows:

What is the Department's policy on single use plastics?
The Department does not have a separate single use plastics policy but is committed as per the DESC Climate Change Plan and Policy 2024-25 to avoid disposable items, in line with the single use plastics regulations 2022. By way of advice and assistance this can be found using the following web link: DESC Climate Change Policy and Action Plan 2024 - 2025 Climate Change (Single use plastics) Regulations 2022

How many plastic water bottles are sold to pupils in a typical week?

Secondary School Answer Ballakermeen High School
Bottle Flavoured water: 1307 Bottled still/plain water: 608
Castle Rushen High School
1350 bottles of water in total
Queen Elizabeth II High School
W/C 3rd November 2025
Bottle Flavoured water: 642 Bottled still/plan water: 451

Ramsey Grammar School
0 the school only sell cartons
St Ninians High School
Bottle Flavoured water: 1996 Bottled still/plan water: 628

Is tap water available in the canteen?

Secondary School Answer Ballakermeen High School
2 x water fountains Castle Rushen High School
Yes
Queen Elizabeth II High School
Yes Ramsey Grammar School
3 plumbed in water units in the dining hall
St Ninians High School
Yes

How many drinking fountains are available in the school?

Secondary School Answer Ballakermeen High School
9 Castle Rushen High School
8 Queen Elizabeth II High School
1 x outside the dining hall
Ramsey Grammar School
4 access points to water across the school (3 West and 1 East). These are not water fountains, they are plumbed in water stations.
The SPC has a separate kitchen where students have access to tap water.
St Ninians High School
9

Does the school promote the use of reusable water bottles?

Secondary School Answer Ballakermeen High School
Yes, The School offer a branded reusable water bottle.
Water is freely available from the fountains and jugs in each canteen. As the school aims to reduce the use of single use plastic they recommend that students bring a refillable drinks bottle into school to help them stay well hydrated. Castle Rushen High School
The school promoted the use of reusable water bottles by providing Year 7 students with free bottles featuring the school logo.

Queen Elizabeth II High School
Yes Ramsey Grammar School
Yes St Ninians High School
Yes, but do not sell reusable bottles

What are the individual schools Green/plastic policies?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested.
By way of advice and assistance the Islands Secondary Schools are committed to the actions set out within the DESC Climate Change Policy and Action Plan 2024 - 2025

Have there been and improvements to the schools Single use plastic waste since 2018?

Secondary School Answer Ballakermeen High School
Yes, quantity of bottles of water sold has reduced.
Castle Rushen High School
There have been a lot of improvements, wooden cutlery, food served in compostable cartons rather than plastic, and paper cups when needed, all of which come at an additional cost to the school. Queen Elizabeth II High School
Yes, the canteen no longer uses plastic cutlery or salad boxes. Ramsey Grammar School
The school do not use single use plastic. St Ninians High School
No plastic cutlery, no plastic cups, food packaging, reduced vending machine sources

How much profit do the schools make of the sale of plastic water bottles?

Secondary School Answer Ballakermeen High School
Financial Year April 2024 – March 2025 Annual total profit
£46,304.08 Castle Rushen High School
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested.
By way of advice and assistance within many of the meals the schools sell it includes a bottle of water, so the individual profit from bottles can’t be separated. Queen Elizabeth II High School
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested.

Ramsey Grammar School
The school do not sell plastic water bottles.
St Ninians High School
Estimate for 2024/25 £48k

Have any schools been made aware of their plastic consumption by internal of external peoples?

Secondary School Answer Ballakermeen High School
No Castle Rushen High School
No Queen Elizabeth II High School
An Eco Committee is in place to start to explore this issue further. Ramsey Grammar School
No
St Ninians High School
No

Please quote the reference number 5069018 in any future communications.

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