Aurora College embraces RecycleKiwi for school-wide waste minimisation initiative
The RecycleKiwi programme is an easy way for schools and businesses to step up their green game and show some love to the planet. As a CrestClean initiative for tackling waste, RecycleKiwi is proving to be the waste management solution everyone’s getting excited about. The programme offers educational resources to help schools, businesses, and organisations improve their recycling efforts. With stickers and posters for every type of waste, it’s never been easier to make a positive impact on the environment.
For Aurora College in Invercargill, RecycleKiwi played a key role in the school’s waste minimisation initiative. Year 9 home base teacher, Jacqueline Stewart, stumbled upon RecycleKiwi after Googling where to find rubbish bins. Finding RecycleKiwi’s free resource pack was like striking gold.
Having purchased new rubbish bins for all junior and options classrooms, the RecycleKiwi stickers and posters helped students identify the right bin for their waste. Senior classrooms and shared spaces also display the RecycleKiwi posters to educate students and staff.
“The stickers and posters make it easier to redirect students to use the correct bins”, says Jacqueline.
Jacqueline and the school’s Envirocouncil recognised the impact the bins were having on student behaviour and saw the need for a consistent system across all classrooms. They set out to order a second round of free RecycleKiwi resources, which were delivered in person by CrestClean’s Invercargill Regional Manager, Steve Willis.
Aurora College students said the RecycleKiwi stickers took the confusion out of what to do with their waste.
“Having the same bins, with the same posters and stickers in all the classrooms makes it less confusing about what bin is what”, says Jacqueline.
When asked why recycling was important to the school, Jacqueline said they wanted “To try and shift our culture of consumption and care more about what happens to the products we purchase, along with the packaging they come in.”
Aurora College’s waste minimisation plan began after conducting a waste audit in May when they discovered the school was throwing away a massive 70 kg of food scraps each day. It was clear that they had some work to do to improve their sustainability efforts. Aurora College set their sights high and signed a pledge with Para Kore (a national Māori zero-waste education programme) to reduce waste by 50% and create a culture where recycling is important to the students and community.
With 54 classrooms, a library, and a staffroom, Aurora College knew that achieving their ambitious goal would require a team effort.
Students hit the ground running and mucked in to get a composting program underway. The process involved a little trial and error at first, but some healthy competition had each class swiftly getting their food scraps to compost bins and their paper bins out for collection. The student engagement was incredible, and they were excited to be involved in the recycling project.
“We’re stoked that as an institution educating 600 students a year, we are role modelling what they should be doing at home and teaching them about the circular economy. I also hope they feel empowered through participating in small actions that collectively have a massive impact on the environment”, says Jacqueline.
RecycleKiwi has helped Aurora College students to get on board with the school’s waste minimisation initiative. “Through small actions like putting our food waste in the compost, collectively we are having a big impact by diverting a lot of waste from the landfill”, one student says.
We can all do our bit to cut down on waste, and RecycleKiwi has made it easier than ever to Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. It’s more than just a recycling program; it’s a guide to creating cleaner, greener spaces.
Many schools and businesses have taken advantage of RecycleKiwi’s free resources to boost their waste management to the next level. The program has been so successful; it’s been given a makeover with a new ambassador, Indi, and a new mascot, a 3D-animated Kiwi. Created by local 3D artists and inspired by the classic Goodnight Kiwi, the Kiwi will be a much-loved mascot for RecycleKiwi.
Keep an eye out for RecycleKiwi’s new look in 2024!
