Single use packaging binned at Ocean Road PS

SINGLE use food packaging will soon be a thing of the past at Ocean Road Primary School.

The Dawesville school is aiming to significantly reduce the amount of non-sustainable packaging used in their canteen after receiving a grant of more than $4300 from the State Government’s Waste Wise Schools program.

Ocean Road Primary Waste Wise coordinator Karen Leggett said they couldn’t wait to make their canteen more environmentally friendly.

“The canteen provides a range of tasty and nutritional foods to students, including dip plates, soups, custards and fruit salads, but these foods are currently served in plastic and polystyrene packaging,” she said.

“We will be using the grant to replace most single use products from the canteen with reusable items.

“Replacement products will include plastic tumblers, bowls, plates, cutlery, divided plates and keep cups for soups and Milos.

“Our aim is to educate our future generation about how they can minimise their impact on the environment and start creating environmentally friendly habits now.”

North Mandurah Primary School also received $595 to buy bins for classroom paper recycling and buckets to collect food scraps for their worm farm.

WA environment minister Stephen Dawson said 15 schools had shared in more than $35,000.

“I am pleased to see the avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle culture at Western Australia’s schools, they are leading the behaviour change we need to avoid waste and minimise the amount we send to landfill,” he said.

“We all need to follow this example being set by our kids.”