A SCHOOL has ditched disposable period products following a visit from an environmental campaigner.

Varndean School will now offer eco-friendly products to students at its site in Balfour Road, Brighton.

It follows a visit to the secondary school from Brighton-based campaigner Ella Daish who started the End Period Plastic campaign.

The school will spend its period poverty allowance, provided by the UK government, on more environmental alternatives to disposable tampons and pads.

Ella said: "I'm absolutely thrilled that Varndean School has made the switch to eco-friendly period products.

“This fantastic step is positive for the planet and will help raise awareness of the different period options available to students. The school should be proud for taking this step, it's a perfect example of how we can bring about change at a local level and it'd be incredible if more could follow in their footsteps."

Headteacher Shelley Baker said she was the switch is part of a wider commitment from the school to make more environmentally friendly choices.

She said: “We were delighted to invite Ella into Varndean to meet with our students who are rightly passionate about ensuring students have access to eco-friendly period products.

“This is very much a result of the work we started when the whole school community made a 'pledge to the planet' and everyone was encouraged to think of small changes they could make.

“We look forward to sharing our learning with other schools who have recently joined the Brighton and Hove sustainability, climate change and environmental education Project.

Last year, figures revealed that only half of Brighton and Hove’s schools haven taken advantaged of the government’s scheme to provide free period products.

Department for Education data shows that only 32 of the 67 state-funded schools in the city ordered free period products for their pupils between the start of the scheme in January 2020 and the end of last year.

Schools can order the products online and they are delivered to them free of charge.

Products they can order include period pads and tampons, and environmentally friendly alternatives such as period cups and reusable pads.