Sustainability
Our new environmental theme ‘Change Starts with Us’ was first introduced at our final whole school assembly of 2023. While I will explain more about our theme in coming newsletters, I would like to include this beautiful visual here for you all to see and ponder on and thank staff member Jennifer Colbron for sharing her artistic talents with the creation of this wonderful image. Fittingly, our new image highlights the natural environmental beauty which we want to protect and nurture through the adoption of simple habits as explored in the below sections of this Sustainability article.
Better choices for Easter.It was estimated that Australians spent almost $1.7 billion dollars on hot cross buns, Easter eggs and other Easter-related foods in 2023, up 14.5% more (over $200 million) from the previous year. With this spending comes a lot of rubbish, yet also the opportunity to do something more positive than discarding our no-longer-needed materials into landfill bins. With some forward planning and a little awareness of our purchasing habits, there are many easy actions we can take to help our environment while celebrating Easter in meaningful ways. To get started, you might like to read this article from Sustainability Victoria - Egg-cellent tips for a hoppy Easter | Sustainability Victoria
Here are some handy hints for a sustainable Easter:
Choose products with less packaging or even get creative and make your own Easter chocolate by melting down large blocks into shapes. Make decorated chocolate bark, or perhaps purchase package-free chocolate from local wholefood shops. Chocolate blocks wrapped in paper and foil are easy to recycle too. Home-made chocolates can be gifted in glass jars or re-usable containers which can be fun to decorate.
Choose recyclable packaging over single use, or support local businesses selling hot cross buns in paper or cardboard packaging. You can even take your own bread bag to the bakery. Once home, store food items in a reusable, airtight container.
Recycling foil wrapping is super easy. Just remember to keep all foil wrapping aside and scrunch it together into a fist-sized ball before placing into your yellow kerb-side recycle bin.
Fun fact: Aluminium’s lifecycle provides significant benefits through recycling, saving 95% of the energy it would take to make new aluminium metal.
Keep a basket or container handy over the coming weeks and place all foil wrappers here until you have enough to scrunch together for recycling. Cardboard packaging or hard plastic packaging can go straight in your yellow kerb-side recycling bin. Break these materials apart before putting them in the bin and you’re on your way to becoming a recycling guru.
Try swapping chocolate activities for experiences, to share the Easter spirit without food. Easter is a time of remembering the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ; a time of great sorrow and suffering, but also of joy and hope. Throughout Lent, our Catholic tradition encourages us to 'go without' something, to make small sacrifices, and to give to others. Easter celebrations in our homes could involve actions where we remember others and give what we can to those in need. You might like to donate to Caritas’ annual Project Compassion campaign, attend a local parish mass, spend time with someone you haven't seen for a while, create Easter crafts, involve yourself in nature or volunteer your time locally. More great ideas can be found here:
Sweet spending boon predicted for Easter retail - Roy Morgan Research
Recycling Aluminium | The Australian Aluminium Council
Cadbury Australia reduces packaging for Easter - PKN Packaging News
Our hacks for a low waste Easter: Green + Simple (greenandsimple.co)
4 ways reduce your waste this Easter - Sustainable Play Preschool
What’s new? Single-use bottle recycling.
Our Canteen space now has a yellow lidded recycle bin for single use plastic drink bottles and tetra-packs sold at Trinity.
Recyclable items specifically include:
Snowy's Mountain Water 600ml
Pump flavoured waters 750ml
Sungold flavoured milks 500ml
Fresha orange drink 300ml
Emma & Tom's fruit and vegetable drinks 350ml
Prima flavoured fruit drinks 200ml
Oak flavoured milks 500ml
Note: Nippy's Iced Chocolate and Strawberry flavoured milks 250ml are NOT recyclable and should not be placed in this recycle bin. Items should be emptied before disposal.
The recycling bin will be monitored by students. Funds raised will go towards environmental projects and the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal.
