Step one ­ A solid waste audit

This is a great starting point for understanding and then planning reduction to the waste stream. A day’s waste is set aside and students separate waste into various categories. While this can be confronting it is very rewarding for students to see exactly what is thrown away in their school. The report from SCRAP includes a series of recommendations.

A complete DIY kit is available from SCRAP for hire at $139 + GST, including delivery and collection within the Sydney metropolitan area. This includes the SWA kit (with instructions and audit sheet) and ARR kit plus gloves, tongs, labelled buckets, tarpaulin and scales. Also available for purchase at $400 + GST, including delivery, see the Green Buys Catalogue - these are member's prices.

Avoid, Reduce & Reuse Kit - Many areas of the school can benefit from an Action Plan to reduce waste and reuse items. The kit provides your students with opportunities to do action research that can lead to a Whole School Action Plan on improved resource use and conservation. You will also explore issues of environmentally friendly purchasing ­ SCRAP offers 15% Green Buys Discounts on a range of products and services to its members.

Left: The Avoid Reduce & Reuse Kit

Step 2- Implementing programs for paper recycling and cartridge recycling

Paper Recycling - The starting point for most schools is the Paper Recycling Program. Recyclable paper is around one third of the school waste stream by weight and up to half by volume, and often more.
The solid waste audit indicates what kinds of paper are going to landfill and assists in choosing the kind of paper recycling system. In Sydney skip bins are the preferred option. Other areas use wool bales and/or bags to collect white office paper products. Skip bin services typically cost 60% of the cost of removal as waste (the current charge with Rethmanns in Sydney is $6.82 per cubic metre including GST).
A whole school effort is required to effectively separate and collect recyclable paper however as most people recycle paper in their homes it is an achievable program to start off with.

In Sydney and the Blue Mountains SCRAP is able to offer a WHITE PAPER and CARTRIDGE (see below) collection system which is FREE to our members. By separating your office quality, printing and writing papers (white paper only) you will save money on your recycling skip removal and contribute to higher quality recycling. Your cartridges will bring you rebates worth up to $15 per cartridge.

Cost: free initial consultation from SCRAP staff and follow up support.

Many areas have agents who also impose charges for bag and bale services (skip bins are rarely available outside Sydney).

Right: a White Paper Recycling floor box

Cartridge Recycling - EARN $$$$$ SCRAP's industry partner Ink Post will help you to recycle your toner and ink jet cartridges and reduce toxins in landfill. Free to join and all you have to do is pack them up and call us for collection or post them back in reply paid envelopes (for ink jet only). You can also access cheap, reliable and guaranteed remanufactured cartridges (which are also guaranteed to be recycled). Inkjets may also attract a cash rebate paid directly to you or your school/organisation and remanufactured inkjets are likely to cost less than $30 each. For country schools collection details need to be organised separately and post reply paid may apply.

Cost: free

Above right: an example of a laser cartridge that can be remanufactured

Step 3 ­ Implementing a Green Waste Strategy

Green Waste consists of food, garden and anything else organic (eg, compostable paper). This usually comprises around 45% of the school waste stream. This means that a typical school of 400 students may generate up to 20 kg of food waste per day and up to 4 tonnes per year will go to landfill. This will cost the school over $500/year in disposal costs.

SCRAP’s Green Waste reduction program aims to assist schools to reuse this green waste within the school and so avoid sending it to landfill. The savings on disposal costs can also be channelled back into further environment education activities to manage this waste and hence keep the funds in the global budget.
SCRAP will work with the school to develop and implement the program. This includes staff and student workshops, infrastructure and back-up, with options in each area to suit your budget. The educational component has a strong focus on both curriculum and management integration and is supported by our teaching and learning kit, “If you didn’t eat your Greens” (book and video), normally $33. There are few better programs of practical, hands-on work in environmental education for students.

Costs: the implementation costs vary with the size of the school. The cost includes supply of a system as well as educational and management training and advice.

Worm Farms:

1. The Reln Can O' Worms is a system that will recycle green waste for domestic, educational class based activities or small businesses only. Our service includes a 30 minute set up workshop, the Can O' Worms worm farm, 2,000 worms, book and video for just $176 including GST and delivery, in Sydney. The worm farm and worms only for $120 including GST and delivery in Sydney.

2. The Clarry Wormery is for schools/other bodies over 250 students/staff and is an enclosed, fully prepared worm farm with two years backup from a worm farmer. Set up workshops may run for several hours and up to a full day to establish the worm farm and induct staff/students to the maintenance process. Buckets (20 litres) with labels are also provided to collect food wastes. SCRAP's "If you didn't eat your Greens" book and video are included. The full cost is $3100 + GST if all features are included. We can quote on other set ups if you wish but we mandate the two year's back up as this is often necessary for the successful implementation of the system.

Right: The ‘Clarry’ wormery

Composting systems:

Composting in schools is an ideal way to reduce garden waste going to landfill. Schools often have irregular yet large amounts of this type of waste and often it can fill a skip bin. SCRAP’s composting systems are designed in conjunction with a green waste and garden strategy and may be constructed of resused pallets in bays or use commercial tumblers for example.

Cost: by negotiation depending on the size of the school grounds. SCRAP will work with the school to develop a garden waste reduction strategy. This can include construction of pallet bays for composting and/or storage. typical costs are between $400 - $500. Contact SCRAP for more information.

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Toward Biodiversity

link to books available on plants, animals & gardening

Step 1 - Biodiversity Action School Grounds Survey

School grounds can be one of the most biodiverse sites in a local area and are always part of a larger biodiverse region. The survey can be run over a day with SCRAP staff and students who identify key biodiverse areas of the school and develop a management plan to conserve and enhance these areas. The survey also looks at the many issues facing school grounds such as student use, supervised areas, external noise, litter, stormwater run off, etc. The art of compromise in meeting the competing interests is a fascination for all involved.

Also, a DIY Kit is available that includes the Biodiversity in Action Manual over 11 lessons linked to the NSW curriculum.

Step 2 - Shade houses in schools

A shadehouse can be a great outdoor activity where students can grow their own plants for the school grounds. SCRAP offers several shade house designs (dependent on siting and security within the school) and also workshops in propagation and plant management.

Left: An example of a shade house, as set up at Chester Hill PS

Step 3 - Creating Habitats

Planting local native species, in areas identified in the biodiversity audit, creates the habitat area. Through creating habitats students learn the importance of habitat in urban areas, and materials, which can be used in backyards as a temporary replacement. Depending on the size of the habitat planting, it should take two days to complete.

Step 4 - Bush tucker / Medicine garden

Students learn basic research skills by searching bush tucker web sites, magazine articles and books. Students will also identify the local Aboriginal tribal area the school is situated in. By creating a bush tucker garden students learn about plants Aboriginal tribes survived on prior to European arrival in Australia. Time required to research and create the Bush Tucker garden is 2 days, preferably consecutive.

Below are some links relating to the subject of biodiversity:

Penrith City Council's Remnant Bushland Mapping project
http://www.penrithcity.nsw.au/history/

For information about threatened plant and animals in NSW - including the Cumberland Plain region
http://www.npws.nsw.gov.au/wildlife/threatened.htm

Information about the various sub communities of the Cumberland Plain region
http://ecofriends.nccnsw.org.au/bushland/reference/westsydney/The.html#Heading10

Commonwealth perspective and information regarding Cumberland Plain woodland
http://www.ea.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/information/factsheets/cumberland.html

Threatened Species Network
http://www.wwf.org.au/tsn/index.htm

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Toward Sustainability

link to books available on 'green living'

Greenhouse Action Energy Reduction Program

Energy consumption impacts on the enhanced greenhouse effect and also on the organisation’s budget. SCRAP’s energy reduction program works with students or your staff to conduct an energy audit and then to reduce energy use within the school/organisation. The Greenhouse Action energy poster (above) details ways in which we can minimise our greenhouse gas emissions. SCRAP's industry partners may also be called on to provide obligation free quotes to show how savings can be effected through retrofitting lighting using the latest technologies.

Materials Use and Management (MUM) Workshop

Waste and the environmental impact can be avoided and/or reduced through changing common practices such as purchasing and reusing items. This workshop assists the schools and other organisations to identify where environmental and financial savings can be made. It is delivered in conjunction with The Bower Reuse and Repair Co-op.

School Environment Management Plan (SEMP) Workshop

The Department of Education’s new School Environmental Education policy required all schools to develop a SEMP and an environment committee. SCRAP’s process includes assisting in the development and coordination of the school’s SEMP and committee, leading to a workable and user friendly environment management plan. This includes a summary report on the school’s current status and recommendations for future directions.

The Sustainable Schools Program'

Over the past three and a half years this pilot program has received much attention for its innovative approach to teaching and learning about sustainability. Based on a hands-on approach for students, the SCRAP Consortium (including our partners, Oz Green and The Bower) devised a method of auditing schools’ environmental performance, called the Eco Snapshot Day. From this the school is provided with a report and further work with participating schools leads to the development of Environmental Plans (SEMPS) and the establishment of Environment Committees (to fit with the NSW Dept of Education and Training’s current Environmental Education policy).

Subsequently, the school may engage in further workshops designed to implement the changes recommended in the Environmental Plan. SCRAP and the Program Partners have run audit training for the NSW Dept of Education Environmental Education Centre (EEC) staff, teacher inservices through Councils and EE Centres, EcoSnapshot Days for individual schools as onsite training for teachers at other schools and to develop lighthouse schools in a council area.

The full EcoSnapshot Day (Sustainability Program) consisting of an Induction Day; the EcoSnapshot Day (five audits - solid waste, energy, water and stormwater, biodiversity and grounds and materials use and management - in one day with your staff/students or just our staff) and a complete 50 page Sustainability Report delivered in a two hour Feedback Session to you will cost a minimum of $4,000 + GST depending on the size of your organisation.

Please note that all individual workshops and audits are generally costed at around $700 + GST but SCRAP is always prepared to negotiate with members on costings and the precise program required.

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