PBC is about to implement a range of new sustainability initiatives that will reduce waste to landfill, facilitate better recycling practices and educate staff, students and parents about recycling and sustainability. We have recently taken delivery of an industrial composting machine and will soon be composting all food waste. The compost generated will be used in the new herb and vegetable garden currently under construction near the hall. More detail on this new composting process and the garden will follow in future updates.

As of this week, all staffrooms now have a permanent bin for paper recycling. These locked, bright yellow bins will sit outside each staffroom and be used to collect all waste office paper. There will also be a smaller, colour-coded blue bin inside each staffroom which will be used to collect waste paper and emptied as required into the larger locked bin outside. All paper collected will be shredded in the newly-constructed sustainability shed. The shredded paper will then be sold to a paper recycling company, replacing the previous process where we paid for the collection and shredding of our documents. This new process will not only save money but it will generate a small profit which will fund ongoing sustainability initiatives here at PBC. By diverting waste paper from general waste bins, where much of it currently goes, we will reduce the volume of waste we send to landfill and also educate staff and students on the benefits of recycling.

Stay tuned for more information on the rollout of several other sustainability initiatives later this year.

#redsgogreen

Tom Pasley and Bianca Benigno