Sustainability

Keeping used stationery out of landfill!

This year, our school has proudly taken part in the Officeworks & TerraCycle Pen and Marker Recycling Program, helping to ensure that used whiteboard markers, pens, highlighters, and other plastic stationery stay out of landfill.

Thanks to the enthusiasm of our students and staff, we successfully filled and sent 10 full recycling boxes throughout the year! Every pen collected is one less piece of plastic entering our environment, and this achievement reflects our school community’s growing commitment to sustainability.

A huge thank you to everyone who dropped items into our collection boxes! Your small actions have made a big difference. We look forward to continuing this positive impact in the new year as we work together toward a cleaner, greener school community.

Container Deposit Scheme

This term, our Junior Waste Warriors took part in a Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) incursion, where they learned about linear and circular economies and how plastic bottles, aluminium cans and glass containers can be reused through recycling.

Basically, a circular economy is a system where we reuse, repair, recycle and keep materials in use for as long as possible, instead of throwing them away (to landfill). It helps reduce our waste and protects our environment. Win-win!

Students have now created an action plan to introduce a CDS collection at our school next year. Watch this space! In the meantime, families are welcome to donate their CDS refunds using our school’s Donation ID. These funds will support a sustainability project in 2026, but for now, all contributions go directly to the school.

Through the efforts at our recent school fete, our Waste Warriors collected and sent 800 bottles and cans to the South Melbourne depot and these funds were given to the school! Incredible effort, team!

PMPS Donation ID: C2000010887

CDS have some condition for their system:

• Drink containers only
• Whole - not crushed
• Machine - needs to see barcode
• Must have the 10c logo
• Must say collected in VIC 

Footwear, Sports Balls Recycling

Did you happen to make use of the recent Black Friday sales and purchase new shoes to replace old / broken /unwanted shoes? School/sport shoes done and dusted for the year? Sending these shoes to landfill will mean up to 1,000 years to decompose. Good news is you don’t have to throw the old out! Many major shoe stores have a box in the back of their store where you can give unwanted sport and active lifestyle footwear to give it new life. Tread Lightly is a fabulous organisation who probably organise the recycling process. Another great opportunity to be part of the ‘circular economy’!

For more information and to find your nearest collection point, check out Tread Lightly online, or google it! 

PS. Rebel sport also have a Sports Ball Recycling Program!