Moreton Bay Regional Council’s innovative and practical waste education program for schools has won a Sustainable Cities Award.
Mayor Allan Sutherland said council was pleased to learn that it had been named the winner of the Community Action and Partnership title at this year’s Keep Australia Beautiful Queensland Sustainable Cities Awards.
“This award recognises our ResourcEd Schools program, which provides practical tools to local schools wanting to minimise the waste they produce,” Mayor Sutherland said.
“Through ResourcEd Schools, we’re aiming to give tomorrow’s adults the building blocks for sustainable lifestyles, by encouraging good recycling and waste minimisation habits today.
“This award is a fitting tribute to those who are making a lasting difference to the way local schools and their students generate and recycle waste.”
Mayor Sutherland said that 14 schools and a kindergarten were involved in the ResourcEd program last year and that eight of those schools were actively carrying out waste minimisation action plans.
“Through working with council, several schools have been able to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by between 20 and 38 per cent.
“That’s a terrific achievement and one I hope we can continue to build on in the future.”
Mayor Sutherland said it wasn’t the first time council’s schools waste education program had received official recognition.
“We were a Sustainable Cities runner up in the 2009 for our work with schools and a finalist in the Premiers Climate Smart Partnerships Award earlier this year ,” he said.
The schools which recorded the best ResourcEd results this year are:
School percentage of waste diverted from landfill
Elimbah State School 24 per cent
St Eugene Catholic College, Burpengary 25 per cent
St Michaels College, Caboolture 25 per cent
St Benedicts Catholic College, Mango Hill 38 per cent
