HILLCREST Primary School in Bayswater will be launching its Eco Canteen in 2018 after a successful trial of re-using cutlery and cups this term.
Since July, the school has set up a composting bin to gather food waste and used fresh produce from its garden including lettuce, broad beans and beetroot.
When the school year restarts in January, the canteen will continue handing out reusable cutlery to students and using paper straws over plastic while reducing other uses of plastic.
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READ NOWCanteen manager Melissa Emanuele said she was surprised with the students’ willingness to reduce all waste.
“We are also looking at ways to replace the use of other plastics, using paper plates for example,” she said.
“Our next challenge is phasing out the use of cling wrap.
“This can be recycled in soft plastic recycling at Coles, but it would be better not to use it at all.”
Sustainability teacher Rachael Roberts said the kids wanted to learn what they could do to prevent the ocean from having more plastic than fish by 2050.
Associate principal Liz Ford said it was nice to see the students put the sustainability curriculum into practice within the school environment.
“A small change makes a big difference,” she said.
“I think Hillcrest out of all the schools in the area, are very aware of the need for sustainability and has been promoting it.
“Melissa’s canteen is one of the only canteens in the area that doesn’t run at a loss; to the point that she is now servicing Embleton Primary School as well.”
The school recently won first place at the 2017 Perth Royal Show for its Sustainable Scarecrow, which was created through repurposing waste materials.
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