Wow! What an amazing day the 28 attendees had at Camberwell Girls’ Grammar School (CGGS) on Thursday July 23rd for our Beyond Net Zero Network Meeting. Many connections were made and many conversations were had throughout the day starting with a chat over coffee and morning tea.
Bill from Precious Plastic Melbourne started the presentations giving an overview of plastics both good and bad. He talked about a positive future and ongoing research into plastic recycling. Did you know that only approx. 15% of single use plastics are currently recycled in Australia but with innovation and technology we hope to see that increase. Two very knowledgeable CGGS students took us through their Precious Plastic system: sorting, shredding, extruding, moulds and finally creating a recycled plastic comb and pen.
Anna Clarkson took us on a tour of CGGS showing their amazing sustainability initiatives by the Froggies (Friendly Organisation of Gorgeous Green Indicators of Environmental Sustainability) and the school. Not all of their bottle lids are suitable for recycling. Instead of throwing them away, the school is using them in artworks across the school. We also saw potted apple trees, a greenhouse, wicking beds, lemon tree and the compost system. The Froggies communication area highlights sustainability news and has recycling station for end of life pens, markers, batteries, lids and also a café cup and bowl return.
More conversations and networking took place over a delicious lunch from CGGS café.
Chloe from Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme gave us an overview of using containers to raise funds for schools. Since the Container Deposit Scheme launched over 3.4 billion containers have been returned and there has been a 71% drop in container litter. CDS goes beyond fundraising. It also empowers student voice and builds community connections
Alan Reid (Monash Uni) and Lucas Johnson (Cornish College) gave a presentation on ‘Becoming a net zero school – shaping the journey’. They talked about the challenges schools face: eg. relying on one champion in a school; conflicting priorities within the school; what happens when the champion leaves; and lack of sustainability in the curriculum. To overcome these challenges there is a need for an embedded approach in schools e.g. sustainability should be incorporated into culture and values; infrastructure; curriculum; initiatives; and connections.
Small groups discussed these themes and shared their highlights with the broader group. The main things that came out were the need to start with small steps; gain support across the school and from leadership, ensuring sustainability is sustainable to avoid burnout and mapping the curriculum.
Thank you so much to the Anna, Sam and the team at CGGS for hosting this wonderful event!
This network is jointly facilitated by EASL (Eastern Alliance for Sustainable Learning) and EEV (Environment Education Victoria).
If you would like to know more or get involved you can join the ResourceSmart Schools program or contact us at info@easl.com.au