A total of $60,000 has been allocated for schools that have developed projects to reduce waste disposed to landfill.
The Waste Wise School program is funded through the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Account, administered by the Waste Authority.
More than 120,000 students attended the 214 accredited Waste Wise Schools in 2019-20.
Minister for the Environment, Stephen Dawson said the funding would be used for a range of sustainable waste projects at 25 primary and high schools.
“They include education materials to encourage waste-free lunches, composts, worm farms, recycling bins and a community recycling hub to collect items not recycled via kerbside bins,” Mr Dawson said.
“The program delivers educational resources and provides support to facilitate schools to avoid generating waste and to encourage diverting waste from landfill.”
He said young people could lead the way in caring for the environment and the Waste Wise Schools program enabled them to do this.
“The program teaches kids about good waste disposal practices that they can introduce to their families at home,” Mr Dawson said.
“We all have an important role to play in reducing waste and to think about landfill as being the last resort.”
The Minister also announced a new Waste Wise Schools online professional learning module in Term 4 to introduce teachers to the program, and the new Waste Free Lunch Toolkit, available now on the Waste Authority website.
Applications for the next Waste Wise School grant funding round can be made until 10 November with more information on this PS News link.
