SCHOOLCHILDREN have been praised for their commitment to improving the environment.

Pupils from St Joseph's Primary School, Commerell Street, Greenwich, have worked for the past year to cut out waste.

Each pupil has been given their own email address to ensure paper is not wasted on sending letters out to parents.

The children have also been encouraged to recycle more and use scrap paper, which has seen the school reduce its need for new paper supplies by half.

Now the pupils' hard work has been recognised, after they were awarded a plaque by the national Eco Schools programme.

The independently-run programme aims to encourage schools to be more environmentally friendly.

Cabinet member for the environment Councillor Alex Grant presented pupils with the plaque before the Christmas holidays.

He said: "Children are very influential on their parents' recycling habits and bring great enthusiasm to the classes."