BOWRAVILLE Central School has embraced the opportunity to become waste reducing ambassadors by getting involved with the MidWaste funded ‘Green Leaders’ program, mentored by Regional Coordinator for Sustainable Schools, Jane Grebert.

Earlier this term Student Representative Council (SRC) students from both primary and secondary classes came together to do a waste audit, sorting and measuring what waste the school was generating and thinking about where it was going.

The students realised that a lot of recyclable waste was going into landfill bins, as well as compostable food waste.

“Student ideas to reduce the waste at Bowraville Central included getting more recycling bins next to red bins, introducing dedicated Return and Earn bins, and starting up composting of food waste,” said Jane Grebert.

Since then the SRC with SRC Coordinator Jan Sheriff have been off and running with a compost bin now located near the planned veggie garden area, more recycling bins and dedicated Return and Earn bins ordered.

Compost caddies from Council have been distributed and are collecting food waste for the school’s new composting tumbler.

Next year Lynden ‘Briggsy’ Briggs will take over Jan Sheriff’s role in supporting student’s efforts to care for their environment by converting compostable waste into valuable compost for the garden.

The SRC are looking forward to utilising funds raised by collecting 10 cent Return and Earn containers to support projects at school.

“Well done Bowraville Central for embracing the opportunity to reduce the impact of our waste,” said Jane.

“As we discussed, there is no ‘waste’ in nature, everything is cycled back into something new.

“Thank you to the Nambucca Shire Council for supporting this project through MidWaste and the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) NSW.”

For opportunities to support your school composting in 2022 please contact Wendy Grant at MidWaste projects@midwaste.org.au.