Having started on our Waste Module through Resource Smart Schools, our staff team got together to identify the greatest problems and issues with Waste at our school, then to try to find the best solutions to those problems. We found that one of the biggest issues was the rubbish generated by the children with the food that they bring each day. We started a campaign using our student Green Team to encourage the children to reduce the non reusable packaging that comes with their food. We started introducing Nude Food Fridays to get them into the idea of waste free food. This worked well for two terms and we had presentations at assembly to encourage the classes who had the smallest amount of waste produced each Friday.
Our next step was to go \’totally nude\’ and reduce or eliminate our waste associated with the food brought into school. With a good deal of publicity throughout second term, including several demonstrations of great alternative food containers by the students, we were well prepared for permanent nude food. Only two weeks in and we already have approximately 85% of children with zero waste in the food they bring to school. We have seen a dramatic reduction in the rubbish in the school ground and in the classroom.
We even introduced the Stickybeaks lunch wallet for the Monday lunch orders that are taken through the local Milk Bar. The whole process has been quite painless and a great success. It has really made the whole school; students, teachers and parents, become much more aware of the problems associated with non reusable packaging for food.
In conjunction with our school composting system, where all fruit and vegetable scraps are collected in the class compost bins are taken to our large compost bins outside, as well as our recycling containers in each room, the classroom rubbish bins have far less rubbish in them now than they previously did. Our ultimate aim is to eliminate the classroom rubbish bins altogether.
