On 28 February, as part of the Clean Up Australia Day Schools event, 66 students took part in a Lunchtime Clean-Up, dedicating half of their lunchtime to making a real difference in our College environment. In that short time, they collected an incredible 6 bags of waste, weighing a total of 11kg.
One of the most staggering discoveries was the sheer number of plastic wrappers, with an entire bag filled solely with discarded snack and food packaging - highlighting just how much single-use waste is accumulating around our College. While we didn’t have time to count every item individually, we estimate that over 300 wrappers were collected, with final totals to come.
Our student leaders played a vital role in managing the event, ensuring that students signed in, received equipment, collected litter, and sorted waste so important data could be gathered. This data will be shared with Clean Up Australia Day, the LitterStopper app, and Victoria’s LitterWatch database, contributing to ongoing research into litter patterns and environmental impact.
Although 11kg of waste might seem small, many students only had 5-10 minutes to collect litter - proving just how much waste accumulates in a short time.
This event wasn’t just about tidying up - it aimed to raise awareness of our College’s ongoing litter issue and encourage more responsible choices. The data collected will help us reflect on our habits and inspire positive change in waste management.
A big thank you to our 66 amazing student volunteers, student leaders, Ms. McGarrigle, Mr. Mathieson, and the maintenance team for their incredible support. We also appreciate everyone who encouraged student participation - this was a fantastic step toward creating lasting change.