Minimising the generation of waste by encouraging waste friendly lunches. Is the kind of forward thinking we want to engrain into students, so they become more environmentally aware.
What can we do to reduce waste produced during lunch?
Examples of what to bring:
- fresh fruit
- sandwiches wrapped in paper or placed in re-usable plastic containers
- cut up cheese and crackers in reusable containers
- slices of home-made cakes/biscuits wrapped in a lunch paper bag
- drinks in reusable drink bottles
- paper lunch bag or reusable lunch box.
Note: lunch paper can go to organics recycling with fruit scraps.
Examples of what not bring:
- individually packaged cheese and crackers
- chips
- popper juice containers
- muesli bars
- sandwiches wrapped in aluminium foil or cling wrap.
If it is difficult for students to bring waste friendly lunches every day, the school could nominate a day (such as every 1st Wednesday of the month could be 'Waste Watch Wednesday').
To encourage the achievements made by students in the waste reduction of school lunches, the school could:
- reward students who bring a waste friendly lunch
- ask the Student Environment Minister to prepare a summary for the school's newsletter on the waste reduction achieved
- prepare a press release or invite local media to cover waste reduction achievements in the paper
- enter the work undertaken by the school into Wyong Shire Council or Gosford City Council annual School Environment Awards
- ask students to prepare Powerpoint slide shows and present achievements to Parents and Citizens Association (P&C), School Council and/or Department representatives.