Reducing waste
Dominic College Secondary, Tas
What did they do?
Dominic College is located in Glenorchy, Tasmania, with 380 students in years 7-10. In 2002 the year 10 Science class decided that the school needed to improve its recycling of paper, cardboard, plastics and green waste. They set up a new waste management system and saved the school $3200 per year by reducing the number of rubbish bins collected from the school.
How did they do it?
The class began by looking at the different types of waste produced by the school and how it could be recycled. They spoke to teachers, students and local Landcare members to get support for their ideas. The students planned the number of recycling bins the school needed and where to put them. They submitted their plan to Tasmania's Southern Waste Strategy Authority and received $750 to get the project started.
The school began gradually, recycling only white paper. Once the white paper system was in place the school expanded to recycle coloured paper, cardboard, bottles, containers and food scraps. It bought wheelie bins, collection boxes, compost bins and worm farms, and reused old bins and wool bales for collection.
The year 10 students visited other classes in the school to encourage them to recycle their waste. They held a poster design competition for students to promote recycling. They also promoted the new waste management system by making a display in the school, a video for the community and by writing about it in the school newsletters.
In 2003 year 9 students kept improving the recycling system. The year 8 students also formed a student Recycling Team. The school was recycling paper, plastic and glass bottles and containers, milk containers, cans, and even stamps and pay envelopes! Food scraps were made into compost for the school grounds and also fed the worms in the worm farms. 'Worm Wee' liquid fertiliser produced by the worm farms was bottled and sold at the school fair, giving the school an income from its waste!
Students at Dominic College modified and decorated rubbish bins for collecting different types of waste. Courtesy Dominic College.
Thanks to Dominic College
» www.dominic.tas.edu.au
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