Sustainability
St Mary's is proud to be seen as Sustainability leaders in our wider community by being included in the Campaspe Shire's Term 1 WickED newsletter. We thank the many families who encourage Nude Food lunch boxes for their child. It is also great to see kids that do bring waste into the school that they are responsibly taking it home. Go us!
Here is the article below:
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St Mary's Echuca is on a mission to reduce their waste to landfill and they are achieving incredible goals! A few small changes across the wider school community has seen the school go from 10 red bins picked up each week, to only three.
The school of over 600 students has become a ResourceSmart School - a Victorian government initiative that requires schools to improve their commitment to sustainability in the areas of Water, Waste, Biodiversity and Energy. Having the support of a facilitator, the school has achieved its first star of five that are awarded in the program. Their next priority area is Waste.
Sustainability teacher Terrina Phelan said that while ideally students choose to bring nude food to school, if they bring food that is packaged, a take it in/take it out approach applies so students take their rubbish home with them.
Litter in the playground has also been reduced with five custom-made bin 'stations' - timber structures that house a waste bin and a recycling bin - strategically placed around the school yard. The school's waste bins are not collected until they are actually full, which saves the school money and helps them accurately work out how much waste they are actually diverting from landfill.
The school will head into 2021 with an enthusiastic sustainability team comprising students, staff and parents, ready to get their hands dirty to keep the school clean! |