They’ll call you a Bin Chicken, a foul dumpster diver  

But always remember…

You are a Sustainability Advisor!

Throughout 2022, Joondalup Primary Schools have been working toward developing a greater awareness of the sustainability practices that exist within the school. So far, we have actioned:

• A Waste Wise Incursion for K-6
• The Yellow bins are now 10 cents bins only
• The blue bins are general waste
• The Recycling Hub is up and running and we are recycling batteries, coffee pods, writing instruments, dishwashing items, and toiletry items
• We have recycled 25kg of soft plastic bags
• We have recycled 32 kg of plastic bread tags
• We have recycled over 3000 coffee pods
• We have recycled 9kg of batteries
• We have recycled 4kg of writing instruments
• We have recycled 4317 Containers for Change, earning the school $431.70

All these good practices were highlighted in a Year 5 assembly coordinated by Heidi Cobbledick and Kyle Easther.

As a result of this assembly, the idea of a sustainability team has come to fruition! Yes…this is correct, We have offered the students from P-6 the opportunity to become Bin Chickens! Sustainability lessons in Room 34 this week will focus on what this means, with students having the opportunity to practice what can earn them a ‘feather’.

Yes, we could organise a sustainability team, but we wanted recycling/being a Bin Chicken to be open to every student with the aim of it being a natural part of their daily habits.

What does this mean?

Every student is eligible to become a Bin Chicken, but to do so, they need to earn their feathers. Every time a student is observed doing something sustainable, they earn a feather.

What does earning a feather look like?

• Recess and lunchtime, it’s awarding feathers for those students who use the correct bins
• Recess and lunchtime, it’s asking students which bins their rubbish goes into and why?
• It’s watching students in class that use the paper recycling properly
• It’s Room 27 who make sure the recycling bins contain the right things
• It’s Room 29 who recycle their soft plastics used in their lunches
• It’s Charlotte and Kaiden who pick up rubbish on their way to classes
• It’s Room 22 who bring soft plastics to me to recycle
• It’s staff who bring used egg cartons to me to reuse

Where are the feathers?

At this stage, the Science lab will be open for students to trial this venture at lunchtime and students will need to come and make their feathers (we are thinking feathers on a lanyard, hair clip, bracelet, shoelaces). The idea is that students will wear their feathers with pride, and it becomes a visual cue to remind other students to try and earn their own feathers.

Any questions/suggestions, please let me know as this is only a trial. After we have trialled this and ironed out any issue we will offer it to all students.

For the time being please encourage students to be a ‘Bin Chicken’.

PS…teachers can earn their feathers too!

Sandra Bennett – Sustainability Teacher  & Nerelle Phillips – JPS Science Teacher