Augusta Primary School is diverting hard-to- recycle waste from landfill on behalf of the Augusta community, as part of a national recycling program operated by recycling group, TerraCycle.
The students are collecting the community’s Australia Post mailing satchels, NESCAFE coffee capsules, used toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, empty beauty products and yoghurt pouches and snack wrappers – items that would otherwise go to landfill.
Once collected, the school ships the waste to TerraCycle, where it is shredded, cleaned and melted down into raw materials to create garden beds, park benches and playgrounds.
By recycling these items, the school is also earning donations that it can allocate to itself or a nominated charity.
Di Littlewood from Augusta Primary School said the young students are enthusiastic recyclers.
“Augusta Primary School students take practical action to reduce, re-use and recycle,” she said.
“We have a newly built Waste Wise Shed, where our Green Team of Kindy to Year 6 students store waste for recycling.”
The school is dedicated to creating a sustainable future and works closely with their local community.
“We are helping to educate our community and students on recycling,” Ms Littlewood continued.
“Students are encouraged to bring in items from home. We also collect cardboard and newspaper to give to the local Leeuwin Lions Club.”
“We’re really inspired by the commitment of Australian schools to recycling, and by their hard work in raising awareness about waste and sustainability,” said Jean Bailliard, General Manager of TerraCycle Australia & New Zealand.
The group operates several national free recycling programs to help people recycle difficult -to- recycle waste such as empty shampoo bottles, food packaging, coffee capsules and cosmetic products.
TerraCycle programs have diverted 3.8 billion pieces of waste from landfill and incineration around the globe and raises money for non-profit organisations and charities worldwide.
Visit www.terracycle.com.au for more information and to take part in their recycling programs.