Eco-friendly fever swept across the district for this year’s Sustainable St Albans Week.

Herts Advertiser: Sopwell Secrets event - a guided tour of the history of the local area run by Sopwell Residents AssociationSopwell Secrets event - a guided tour of the history of the local area run by Sopwell Residents Association (Image: Archant)

All 2,000 people who got involved, including 30 schools, colleges and children’s groups, helped to ensure the themed week was the biggest so far.

There were bike rides and walks, talks and tours, allotment open days, and a children’s photography competition which carried a first prize of £100 in all categories.

School activities included litter picks, cooking with leftovers lessons, recycled art project designing, and Clean Plate challenges.

Loreto College students collected more than 400 single use non-biodegradable water bottles throughout the week, and Oaklands College pupils created a Plastic Beach area to raise awareness of the same problem.

Herts Advertiser: The #plasticfree Community Picnic for the launch of Plastic Free St Albans - in Highfield Park - attended by over 80 people - with the Mayor of St Albans who launched the Plastic Free St Albans campaign.The #plasticfree Community Picnic for the launch of Plastic Free St Albans - in Highfield Park - attended by over 80 people - with the Mayor of St Albans who launched the Plastic Free St Albans campaign. (Image: Archant)

Oaklands College employer engagement coordinator Stephen Bewick said: “It has been wonderful to see everyone contribute in their own ways and to see our Plastic Beach concept really take shape.”

Locals enjoyed a jam packed schedule, which included an open herb garden event run by the Herts Asian Women’s Association at the CDA Herts Community Garden Space, a picnic organised by campaign group called Plastic Free St Albans, and a historic guided tour of Sopwell, hosted by the residents association.

There was also a clothes swap organised by the Hertfordshire WasteAware Partnership, a Ver Poets reading, and a host of speakers at Rothamsted Research’s Our Planet Our Future event.

Winners of the Living St Albans Photography Competition were Dexter Roberts - a reception student at St Nicholas School; Rebecca Bint - in Year 5 at Oakwood; Daniela Trhacova - in Year 13 at Oaklands College; and the 4th St Albans Cubs, which entered as a group.

Herts Advertiser: Graceful Greens womens only bike rideGraceful Greens womens only bike ride (Image: Archant)

They were all awarded prizes by St Albans Mayor Cllr Mohammad Iqbal Zia.

Organiser Craig Scudder said: “The Mayor did a great job giving out the prizes for the Living St Albans Photography Competition.

“Seeing the big smiles on the children and parent’s faces was worth all the work we put in organising it.”

Visit www.sustainablestalbans.org to find out more.