WASTE COMPETITION ENTRIES

Mobile Muster 3/4 Entry

Mobile Muster 5/6 Entry – Finalist

Nude Food Entry 2015 – 2nd place

VEOLIA – FUTURE RESOURCERS – Winners for 2021 – Killara

In August and September of 2021 the HEROs participated in the Veolia Future Resourcers Challenge. This free 6-week education program challenges students to develop a creative and innovative solution, known as ‘The Pitch’, with a  focus on food waste in 2021. Schools present their solutions, and compete against other schools across the country for the ultimate title of Future Resourcers winner!

WEEK 2 – QR CODES – WASTE EDUCATION

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CERES – WASTE CAMPAIGN 2021

WE WON AGAIN!

Last Friday we submitted 3 Waste Challenges to the CERES Waste Campaign. We were notified today that Killara are the winners. Here is what we submitted and what we won.For Challenge 1 – Resource Recovery, we already had a lot in place. Killara is a drop off point for batteries, asthma puffers and mobile phones, so for this challenge we decided to try something new – ring pulls and bread tags. We ended up collecting 5.4kgs of Ring Pulls and 1.6kgs of bread tags. These will be given to charities to help make wheelchairs for disadvantaged kids. Please continue to drop off your bread tags and ring pulls at the office.For Challenge 2 – Keep Plastic Out Of the Waterways, we already had nude food at our school and 3 for the sea, where the kids pick up 3 papers at the end of lunch to make sure it doesn’t get into our local creek. For this challenge we conducted a waste audit looking at what plastic we are still bringing to school, what plastic would be left at home and what amount of plastic containers are used. The students and staff were surprised by how much plastic is still being used within our school community. This challenge has been a real eye opener for everyone and our HEROs (Heating, Energy, Recycling Officers) in each classroom will be meeting to see how we can tackle this problem further.For Challenge 3 – Love Food, Hate Waste – We are going to revamp our veggie garden that became unloved during the covid lockdowns and add a herb garden and utilise our 5 vimio composting system on that garden. If you would like to be part of this please let us know.As the winners of the this waste challenge Killara has won a fantastic Buddy Bench from Replas, plus a tour of the Replas Environmental Centre in Carrum Downs. A great educational opportunity for our students.Thank you to the HEROs for all their hard work.

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COLES – SUSTAINABILITY4SCHOOLS

WE WON!!!!

The Sustainability Team is pleased to announce that our entry into the Coles Sustainability4schools competition was successful. Our entry was a detailed account of our sustainability endeavours over the years – highlighting the many initiatives implemented and our achievements. Our commitment to protecting the environment won us a buddy bench – made by Replas from recycled plastic bags.

List of Winners

3 FOR THE SEA

Killara’s ‘3 For the Sea’ program helps keep rubbish/waste/litter out of our waterways. Often when paper and wrappers are dropped on the ground the wind blows them into our creeks and they eventually make their way into the ocean where they can hurt our sea creatures. At the end of lunchtime we play the ‘3 For the Sea’ song to remind everyone to pick up 3 pieces of paper or rubbish on the way back to their classroom, show their class HEROs and put the rubbish in the right bin. This will keep our school grounds free of rubbish and will help our sea creatures as well. The following videos shows you how :

3 For the Sea – Kelli Brogan

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NUDE FOOD

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Our Nude Food program encourages students to think about their purchases, what they eat and the impact they have on the environment.  This is done through a reward system.  Each student receives points on a daily basis if they have no wrappers in their lunchbox.  These points go towards their class’ weekly total.  A trophy is given out to the class in each year level that has the most points in each week.  At the end of the term these are handed back and the class with the most trophies won for the term receives a larger trophy.

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NUDE FOOD EXPLAINED

Waste-free, litter-free food is usually healthier for you and the kids. It also helps to reduce land-fill which will be a huge problem for future generations.

The Nude Food idea is exactly what it says, ‘Nude Food’ – no wrapping (cling-wrap/foil etc.). Lunches/snacks can be sent to school in reusable/compartment lunchboxes or plastic-backed fabric lunch sacks.

Ideas of what to include in a Nude Food (litter-free) lunch box…..

1.     ‘Cute’ vegetables – cherry tomatoes, baby cucumbers (grocers and supermarkets sometimes have early picked, mini-produce such as baby capsicum and baby cues), baby corn, raw green beans, snow peas, raw asparagus spears, mushrooms, and blanched broccoli and cauliflower tips.

2.     Edible wraps – dolmades, sushi, slaw and baby corn wrapped in a cabbage or lettuce leaf secured with string, or shredded veg tucked up inside a rice paper wrap. Not in an edible wrap but worth adding to the school lunch box would be banana leaf parcels (google this to discover some great ideas).

3.     Hunky veg – cooked jacket potato, washed raw baby carrot, cooked corn re-wrapped in the original leaves which can be tied on with string or secured with a toothpick or elastic band. The veggies can be cooked and cooled the night before ready for the morning lunch box rush.

4.     Obvious fruits – apples, pears, mandarins, oranges, banana, grapes, cherries, berries, lychees, kiwi fruit.

5.     Protein power-houses – eggs (pre-boiled and ready-to-go), cheese cubes, and prawns in their shell if keeping things cool is not an issue.

6.     Now, the following  are in the spirit of ‘rubbish-free’ – leading to a little less land-fill.

Instead of buying single serve packaged items, which come with their own disposable packaging, buy foods in bulk packs. Get the kids to repack the contents into mini-serves. You will need stacks of re-useable plastic/metal containers, so recycle and use the empty plastic food jars from peanut butter, preserved fruit, sauces bottles… Yoghurt, canned fruit, dried fruit, custard, air popped corn, pretzels, dry breakfast cereals, olives etc.

Avoid single serve juice packs and water bottles. Get a leak-proof refillable bottle. Fill with water (Tap is best!). Freeze, if possible, to add extra chill to the lunch box.

Finally, ask the consumers (kids or whoever takes a rubbish-free lunch) to take home the scraps to fed to the chickens, worms or compost heap. You can keep an eagle eye out for uneaten/half eaten stuff. All in all, a litter-free lunch means there are fewer wrappers and less rubbish to throw in the rubbish bin.

PLASTIC RECYCLING

Four years ago Killara started collecting plastic bags.  The families and staff would bring in their unwanted plastic bags for Killara to send to The Red Group so that they could be re-used and we could contribute to reducing landfill in the Sunbury area.

Unfortunately The Red Group let us down.  They were originally going to collect the bags from us at no charge and do their magic.  As time went on it was clear that they no longer wanted to help us by collecting the bags so we asked if we could instead drop them off.  As they would only accept them on weekdays, we were happy to drop the off on our school holidays.   After much fuss, this all became far too hard and alas the bags would stay at Killara for a further three years before our Sustainability Coordinator could finally find a way to dispose of them in a responsible way.

In September 2018, two of the staff members of the Killara sustainability team packed all of the bags that we had been storing into the back of a Bunnings, hired Hi Ace and travelled down the road to CLOSE THE LOOP.  Close the Loop is dedicated to making the Circular Economy a reality by providing best-in-class sustainability solutions to companies that want to enhance their Corporate Social Responsibility through effective and efficient recovery and re-use of valuable resources from their products. With a steadfast commitment to zero waste to landfill, the company draws on its strength in innovation to handle even the most challenging materials. Close the Loop’s global footprint includes strategically located operations centres and a broad network of sustainability-minded, cost-efficient partners, making its services a clear choice for companies on every continent.

This company doesn’t normally take plastic bags from just anyone, but once Our Sustainability Coordinator Robyn Smith told them of our plight  they were happy to help.  See the photos of the operation below.

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FRIENDSHIP SEATS

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Today, June 16th 2016, Killara received their 4 friendship seats from REPLAS.  These seats are not only going to make a big difference for students that are in need of a friend during lunchtime and morning recess, but Killara was able to have them made by REPLAS so that the seats are made completely from recycled plastic bags.  Because of the fabulous Sustainability coordinator at Killara – Robyn Smith, a deal between Killara and REPLAS was reached so that Killara would pay for 2 seats but receive 4.  The entire school is very excited about having the new seats as part of the landscape at Killara.  Check them out in the photos below.