Background

Bellbrae Primary School is located in the Surf Coast Shire, 100km southwest of Melbourne between Torquay and Anglesea. In 2010, the student population is 281 students enrolled in 13 classes. Bellbrae P.S. sits on 2.2-hectares of land that includes an oval, gymnasium and library. Bellbrae P.S. was originally opened in 1861 as Jan Juc Primary School with an enrolment of 35. It was relocated to its present site in 1916 and renamed Bellbrae Primary School in 1922.

Objectives

To reduce waste and create a better understanding of waste disposal through correct recycling.

Student Action Team objectives –

• Make more bins accessible throughout school
• Allocate designated eating areas near bins.
• Create a whole school awareness of system
• Create a worm farm to dispose of compost.

Actions

With a whole school approach to recycling at school and at home, Bellbrae primary school (led by our Student Action Team) implemented a waste program. Its aim was to reduce landfill, identify and separate recyclable waste, as well as educating students and the wider community of the importance of recycling.
It is important that all those associated with BPS have an awareness of the difference they can make.

In classrooms and the schoolyard, a four bin system was introduced to separate waste, ultimately reducing the overall waste production of the school. The four bins included are –

• Co Mingle – plastic recyclable material sporting the recyclable triangle.
• Paper Recycling – used for paper and paper products.
• Compost – for biodegradable materials such as fruit cores and other food waste.
• Landfill – for unrecyclable material such as cling wrap and chip packets.

After the initial sorting phase is carried out by students in the classroom and playground, the Student Action Team again filters the waste ensuring the proper disposal of recyclable and non recyclable waste. This requires allotted time in the weekly program and materials such as garbage bags and gloves. Once the waste is sorted, it is directed to the appropriate bins for collection.

The compostable waste is sent to the compost bin and worm farm and eventually used in the Edible Gardens. The paper is collected by the Shire, reused in classrooms and at times made into recycled paper. Comingle waste is also collected by the Shire every fortnight. While Landfill is disposed of in the SITA dumper.

To ensure consistency throughout the school and community assembly reports, classroom announcements and newsletter updates are regularly presented to the school. This ensures all students, teachers and parents are aware of the school’s efforts and future goals.

Overall, the indication of our revised data shows a monthly decrease in our schools waste. The waste program has created greater awareness of what we use. With a growing number of students, we have identified the importance of being mindful of what we have in our lunches and how to minimize our waste in and out of the classroom.

Over the year the Bellbrae waste program has achieved the following –

A decrease in landfill waste.
Regularly reviewed waste data to indicate progress.
Installed four separate bins in each classroom,
All food scraps to compost bins, then edible garden,
Created an awareness of what we use and our responsibility of how we dispose of waste.