As one of only five GreenBatch schools in the state, Margaret River Independent School is forging ahead to re-purpose recycled plastic and aluminium by collaborating with a number of local businesses.
GreenBatch is building WA's first plastic reprocessing plant, turning PET plastic bottles into 3D printing filament for schools to build and create with.
According to GreenBatch, there is no plastic reprocessing in WA, and only one plastic reprocessing plant in the rest of Australia.
The pilot project is being spearheaded by the Year 6 Eco-Echidnas, who are calling on the Independent School community to assist with the school recycling program by collecting 1 and 2 plastics and aluminium cans.
Year 6 teacher Laura Nicholls said as one of five regional trial sites in WA, MRIS would collaborate with Green Batch, Rotary Margaret River, Woolworths Margaret River, and Shepherdson's Transport.
"We will collect the plastic and aluminium, Shepherdson's will take it into town on the school bus, Rotary volunteers will co-ordinate with Woollies to ship our collection to Perth via the empty food trucks.
"GreenBatch will turn the plastics into 3D printer filament and we will receive a quantity of filament that matches the amount of plastic we contribute.
"The more we collect, the more successful the arrangement," Ms Nicholls said.
Milk cartons, vegetable punnets, juice bottles and other items can be deposited in the recycling bins in the Year 6 classroom.
Plans are underway to build a waste-sorting station funded by a Waste Wise Grant.
The station will be built by members of the Margaret River Men's Shed.
For more information about the GreenBatch program, visit www.greenbatch.com
