Waste Management

During this term in VCE VM we have been learning about Waste Management. In the first few weeks we put out a post in the College Newsletter about our goals and some information about it. This Newsletter article is a follow-up on the work that we have done to promote this issue around the school and community!

Water and Construction Waste 

Water and Construction waste is an issue at Wantirna College. There is a surplus of waste in building areas that could be used for more parts instead of being thrown away. There have also been taps that have been left on after their use. Our group has put up posters above most of the taps around the school to try and remind people to turn them off! We have also put them in the Technology rooms for students to look at and remind themselves that this is an issue, and everyone needs to help reduce wastefulness of resources. So, if you see a tap that’s left on please turn it off, or wood that can still be used put it away. 

By Kai Radnidge, Henry Walter and Ryan Beary.

Food and Green Waste 

The post update for our Waste Management Project is that we have been able to complete the survey, PowerPoint, and trial the bin system down in Byrne House, The trial bin system consisted of having 4 small bins in an area that was used by the year 12’s. These bins were labelled and we wanted to see if people would sort their rubbish out if they had the opportunity. As a group we had the opportunity to interview Year 12 students and some of the teachers who said that the trial bin system was a great idea!  We got the results for our Food and Green Waste Management survey from the students in 12W and will continue to work for the rest of the term for the best result possible. 

By Lily Foscarini, Kailee Smedly, Ryan Kalisperis

Plastic Waste

The Plastic Recycling team sent out a petition to the Y7, 8, and 9 students for the school to spend money on recycling bins. We then placed buckets with posters to indicate what each bucket was for in the Pathways Hub (Byrne House)  to be used as a test for recycling waste products properly to determine whether students will use recycling bins or not. We interviewed a few Y12 students in the pathways hub asking their opinion on the new recycling buckets. As a result, with the students not using the buckets, we did a second interview with Y12 students to see if they knew how to recycle their plastic rubbish properly and if they were taught how to, would they?  As a result of this project, it is clear that the students should be taught how to recycle their plastic waste properly.

By Joanna Beswick, Rachel Carter, Thomas Will

Paper and Cardboard Waste

To start off our recycling promo, we created a survey from our class and asked them to vote on their favourite posters.  Then we went around to all the staff rooms that have the yellow-lidded paper and cardboard bins and asked them to choose what poster they liked the best out of ten different posters. After we got our tally, we got printing. After we had them printed and laminated our posters, we started hanging them up near the bins. We now need to go around and ask the teachers how effective they think the bins have been. 

By Ronan Gelsi, Logan Lee, Rory Geinitz 

Electrical Waste

The Electrical Energy team in PDS VM/VCE have recently been hanging up posters in every classroom and staff room in our school. We have interviewed a wide range of peers and leaders around our school for opinions and views on our project. A student from year 9 said the following, “I really think the posters are a cool idea to spread awareness.” Whilst a teacher at our school said, “It is a really bright idea, which should have happened a long time ago!” We hope our ideas and posters are noticed and take a step in the correct direction!

By Nick Maltzahn Higgins, Luke Marshman, Tarkyn Carusi 

Overall as a class we have been working really hard to try and promote Waste Management and ways to help/try and reduce the amount of waste that is being used in the school. We will continue to try our hardest and strive to do the best we can.

Rachael Megee

12W