STUDENTS from a Lichfield school are showing their entrepreneurial skills as part of a national competition.<\/p>\n
The Year 12 group from King Edward VI School have created ForeverWrap as part of the Young Enterprise programme.<\/p>\n
The product is a reusable fabric gift wrapping made from 100% cotton deadstock fabric, while the thread used in each one is made from recycled bottles.<\/p>\n
The students met with Lichfield District Council\u2019s leader Cllr Doug Pullen to run through their presentation ahead of the county final on 27th April.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the group said:<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the start of our Young Enterprise journey, we explored a variety of ideas, all\u00a0centered\u00a0around eco-friendly and sustainable products.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter conducting surveys at our school Christmas fair, we\u00a0identified\u00a0a clear demand for a sustainable alternative to single-use wrapping paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur research showed that families and eco-conscious consumers are frustrated with wasteful wrapping products and are seeking\u00a0an option\u00a0that is both practical and environmentally friendly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe problem is significant. In the UK alone, over 227,000 miles of wrapping paper are discarded each year, most of which cannot be recycled due to glitter, foil, tape and plastic coatings.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraditional wrapping paper is not only\u00a0single-use\u00a0but also time-consuming and often torn and thrown away within seconds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe environmental impact of using\u00a0ForeverWrap\u00a0is considerable. Producing just one kilogram of wrapping paper releases approximately 3.5 kilograms of CO\u2082, which is\u00a0roughly equivalent\u00a0to driving a car 14 miles.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy reusing materials and creating a product built to last,\u00a0ForeverWrap\u00a0helps reduce this impact.\u201d<\/p>\n
ForeverWrap is available in three sizes and costs between \u00a35 and \u00a310, with ribbons sewn into the corners of each one to eliminate the need for tape.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo fund our\u00a0initial\u00a0production, we raised \u00a33,440 through advertising in our school Christmas Fair brochure.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur current pricing model, which reflects small-scale ethical production, is designed to balance quality with accessibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs production scales up, we\u00a0anticipate\u00a0reducing costs while\u00a0maintaining\u00a0the high quality of our product.\u00a0\u201c<\/p>\n
The students have sold their product at a trade fair and local venues, such as a local Central Co-op store and at The Hub at St Mary\u2019s.<\/p>\n