Ramsey Grammar School is to stop selling bottled water in its canteen from September.

On April 30, the Examiner reported that the school was selling about 2,000 bottles a week, earning the school’s canteen £20,000 a year.

At the time, the school’s students petitioned Chief Minister Howard Quayle directly to ensure the school didn’t lose out by dropping single-use plastics from its canteen.

It was also revealed that all of the island’s high schools sell plastic bottles in their hundreds and thousands a week.

With the school now providing all staff and students with refillable water flasks, sponsored by Conister Bank, which together with the Chief Minister’s commitment to installing water fountains in all island schools, has made it possible to cease the sale of plastic bottled water.

Headteacher, Annette Baker, said: ’I am delighted to see the private and public sector working together to help solve problems which confront us all.

’We are grateful to Conister Bank and to Isle of Man Government for making it possible for us to stop relying on plastic bottled water for liquid refreshments at lunchtimes by providing us with the means to adopt an environmentally friendly alternative.’

However, she did add that the ’reality of the situation that doing the right thing costs money’ had left the school having to employ some ’creative thinking’ to make up the shortfall.

Catering manager Sonia Deakin is currently trialling a number of alternatives to plastic bottled water in environmentally friendly packaging to give students some choice from September in what they are having to drink at break and lunchtimes.

Mrs Baker said: ’The provision of a different range of drinks to complement the water fountains will allow us to recoup some of the financial loss incurred by our commitment to doing the right thing.

’It would be great if someone with a big cheque book just stepped forward and said "here’s the money" but it’s not as simple as that either.’

The head teacher also praised the school’s students for bringing the issue to the front of people’s mind ’in a good way’ and encouraging government and the private sector to work together.

’Working together is the way forward, this is everyone’s problem,’ she added.