ECO pupils have been going green at St Mary’s Catholic First School in Dorchester.

They delved into rubbish for a waste audit with Dorset County Council waste education and projects officer Kirsten Juniper.

The youngsters aged six to nine sifted through such discarded items as scrap paper, orange peel, plastic, bottle tops and pencil shavings before sorting them into collection bins and weighing them.

Kirsten said: “St Mary’s are doing very well already.

“The audit aimed to inform them the items they were throwing away which could be recycled, composted or re-used.”

The waste audit bolstered the school’s environmentally-friendly credentials. Pupils in its Eco Warriors club have been leading the way.

They have helped create a noticeboard in the school hall about green activities.

Willow, aged eight, said: “We have made bird boxes and put water hippos in the toilets to save water.

“We have also been seeing what can be composted and what can be recycled.”

She added: “It also helps save money.”

James, aged seven, added: “We made an eco-schools board.

“Being eco friendly is good because it helps stop pollution.”

The school has a silver Eco Schools Award from the Keep Britain Tidy charity. It has solar panels, which pupils monitor and take readings from, recycling bins, compost points, bird boxes, bird feeders, a gardening club as well as monitors for lights, doors and water.

Teacher Jyotsna Chaffey said: “The school was already doing a lot before taking things up formally.

“We’ve been recycling for a long time and composting but starting the eco club has focused us more.

“We try to recycle as much as we can but the audit will help show what else we can do.”

The school is also hoping to create a wildlife garden and bio-diversity area with trees, hedges, logs and plants.