Kegworth Steps Up For A Cleaner Australia

Clean Up Australia Day is an important day on the Kegworth calender – Press Gang report on what it’s all about, why it matters and how we can all take the pledge to step up for a cleaner community and a cleaner Australia. 

The first clean up Australia day was held in In 1990 at Sydney Harbour. Back then, it was named Clean up Sydney Harbour and it was huge, with 40,000 volunteers collecting approximately 5,000 tonnes of rubbish, wow!!

We interviewed Ligita from the P&C Sustainability committee. She told us that an average lunch box can generate around 3kg of waste per school year. So with over 300 students in our school, our lunch box waste could be creating as much as 900kg of rubbish a year.

We think Clean Up Australia day is important because less rubbish ends up in landfill. This means that the world is cleaner, resulting in you and me being healthier and the air being fresher.   

At Kegworth Public School all classes make a  pledge committing to do more to keep our school and community clean. For example, 3Vs pledged to always turn off the lights and taps, and to close all windows and doors when air conditioning is on.

There are lots of ways that you can Step Up. You don’t have to do everything, if we all make small changes they will add up. As Anne Marie Bonneau, the Zero-Waste Chef says, “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” 

There are so many things you can do. Say no to plastic straws, take your empty bottles and cans to a Container Refund Scheme, always bring your own water bottle and compost your food waste. Find out more at cleanupaustraliaday.org.au 

Although Clean Up Australia Day only happens once a year, Kegworth has a weekly reminder about the importance of reducing waste – Waste Free Wednesday. 

Waste Free Wednesday is designed to help kids and teachers remember not to litter and to use less plastic. 

Here is what Kegworth Kids Emily and Sienna had to say about Waste Free Wednesday. 

“Well, how Waste Free Wednesday works is that we try to encourage our Kegworth Kids to not bring rubbish in their lunchboxes on Wednesdays.

For example, if you’re going to bring a packet of chips to school then instead of bringing the rubbish, pour your chip’s into a container!

Also at our school we have these orange bags that are tied to the bins and therefore we can recycle any cans and bottles. One of our a lovely teachers takes the can’s down to a machine and they get recycled into new things such as cars glass bottles and jars and interestingly staples and rubbish bins!” 

Read more about this topic:  Five Ways To Reduce Plastic At Home