PBC is well on the way to becoming a more sustainable school. We are in the process of sourcing compartmentalised bins for the schoolyard that will replace our existing wheelie bins and allow students to separate their beverage containers from co-mingled recycling, food waste and general waste. This will drastically decrease the amount of waste we send to landfill and increase the amount of waste we recycle, which should also see us generate significantly more income from the Containers for Change Container Refund Scheme (CRS). Any students or staff who would like to participate in the CRS and help us raise money for the school can pick up an orange bag from D block staffroom to take home and collect eligible beverage containers. The orange bags can be returned to the Reds Gate on the oval before 9am on a Wednesday morning for collection. Members of the local community are also welcome to collect an orange bag from the Reds Gate on a Wednesday morning or drop off their eligible beverage containers in garbage bags or boxes.

We have continued to see success with our composting program. Our industrial composting machine has now processed more than 7,200kg of food waste from within the school and local community. This has generated more than 1,800kg of compost that has been used on the gardens at school as well as at the Southern Beaches Community Garden in Tugun, The Eco Village in Currumbin Valley and at Elanora High School. When the new compartmentalised bins arrive later this year, this will divert even more food waste from landfill and generate more compost for use within the school and local community.

#redsgogreen

Tom Pasley, Teacher / Sustainability Coordinator