Let's Be Litter Free 

William - Senior Ecological Leader

We are extremely lucky to have a St Bede's College campus on the bay and to have access to the beach and surrounding amenities. With our close proximity to the ocean, it is crucial that we as individuals and as a collective are responsible for ensuring that no waste, rubbish and other pollution enters our ocean. 

All littered rubbish at school can blow across the front oval, over Beach Road and into the ocean. Additionally, rubbish can also blow into drains which flow all across the suburbs of Kingston. Litter from our school can travel into the ocean from Mentone, Mordialloc or even from Carrum, showing how easy it is for a single person to affect an entire region. This litter can have huge and harmful impacts on the species of Port Phillip Bay including the critically endangered Burrunan Dolphins, Australian Fur Seals and even coastal birds who can ingest the plastic and other waste materials that we are responsible for.

To counter this, the student-led Environmental Action Group has an ambition to implement new policies at St Bede's, where no waste is to be brought into the College. In the meantime, we should all be using the large number of bins on campus correctly. 

Some ways to bring environmentally friendly food to school is to remove packaging and dispose of them at home, and bring food in containers and lunch boxes. Bringing less litter to school will greatly reduce the harm done to our environment and species from the bay.

Protecting our coastal environment isn't just a goal for the Environmental Action Group - it's a responsibility we all share as St Bede's students. By switching to reusable containers, using correct bins to dispose responsibly of rubbish and making conscious choices every day, we can preserve our local marine life and ensure our bay remains protected.