Sustainability Learning    

The formation of Sustainability Learning this year brought together food use and food production, combining the subjects of Food Technology and Agriculture into the same learning area. The vision of Sustainability Learning is to ‘learn more, do more, be more, with less' and while continuing to offer comprehensive curriculum opportunities in Food Technology, Horticulture and Agriculture, Sustainability Learning seeks to embed systems that ensure our College develops in its environmental sustainable operation. There have been a number of things happening in this space of late: 

• We were lucky to receive a community grant from Kleenheat Gas that provided six more bins to assist in the collection of recycling and food waste 
• Our SoilFood machine was commissioned in the second week of Term 4 and has been running almost every day since then. Accepting a wide range of food waste and compostable material (such as coffee cups and packaging), the SoilFood machine shreds and dehydrates organic waste into a nutrient rich soil additive that will compost further for use in our kitchen gardens 
• Plastic waste (namely HDPE, LDPE and PP plastic bottle tops) continue to be collected, sorted, washed and separated ready for use in our Precious Plastic extruder, where we are able to give a new life to discarded plastic.  
• Our kitchen garden is in the process of having an upgrade. Students in Years 8, 9 and 11 have had input in the design process. Our old curved wicking bed is being replaced by 8 raised garden beds, a vertical growing wall and an outdoor kitchen space. 
• We are looking to establish a 'farm gate' in the College reception. This year has seen a number of different interests explored by students of Agriculture and as such, a number of different product offerings have become available including chilli products, beeswax wraps, olives, worms, mealworms and hydroponic vegetables. This will complement the honey production from our apiary which continues to be a fantastic opportunity for students.

~ James Tudor

Head of Sustainability Learning