Sustainability Club

The Sustainability Club has had an extremely productive and exciting term 3, focusing on various initiatives and partnerships that promise to make a positive difference in the school and local community. Here’s a summary of the key activities and achievements:  

Grant Approval from White Council for Composting – One of the highlights of the term was the successful approval of a grant from the Whitehorse Council. This funding will play a crucial role in kickstarting a composting program at the school. Composting not only reduces waste but will also foster a culture of sustainability and environmental responsibility among students.  

Partnership with Resource Smart Schools – As a school we have taken a significant step by signing up with Resource Smart Schools, an award-winning sustainability program in Victoria designed to help schools become more environmentally sustainable. It is managed and run by Sustainability Victoria and provides resources, tools, and support to help schools reduce their environment impact, save resources and money, and educate students about sustainability. The sustainability club along with the principal team and administration at the school will be working together to complete 5 modules: Core (creating a sustainability policy and action plan), Biodiversity, Energy, Waste, and Water. This partnership opens up a wealth of opportunities for the club and our school to access best practices, engage in sustainability-focused activities, and take concrete steps towards reducing the school’s ecological footprint.  

Collaboration with Monash University Global Challenges Students – Another exciting development this term was the collaboration with students from Monash University’s Global Challenges program. Together, we embarked on a research project focused on car idling outside schools during pickup time. This project aims to raise awareness about the environmental and health impacts of car idling and explore potential solution to mitigate this issue. It showcases the club’s commitment to real-world, community-based sustainability efforts. Keep an eye out in term 4 for the findings of the project.  

Plastic Free July – For the first three weeks of term, the Sustainability Club organized a Plastic Free July campaign, in which we took the opportunity to educate students about the environmental consequences of plastic pollution, as well as sharing tips and tricks for reducing plastic in everyday life. Throughout July, students were encouraged to bring “nude food” for lunch, meaning food items without single-use plastic packaging. To incentivize participation, house points were awarded once a week to individuals who consistently brought plastic-free lunches.  We wrapped up the month with a DIY beeswax wrap session which allowed students to craft their own reusable and eco-friendly food wraps, which can replace single-use plastic wraps. It served as both an educational workshop and a fun, skill-building experience.  

By Rebecca Kertes

Sustainability Club