Powering Precious Plastics into cool creations
Release date: 19 April 2024
Kooringal High School students and staff were becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of plastic waste that was being generated through their newly built Café and various learning streams across the school. With no viable place to send it other than to landfill, they wanted to take action that aligned with their school values to preserve, conserve and serve.
What began as a need to address their plastic waste footprint, soon transformed into an opportunity for learning, engagement, creativity and environmental leadership.
Kooringal High School set up plastic waste collection bins across the school and started to research solutions. Through the worldwide Precious Plastics movement, they discovered a goldmine of ideas that tackled plastic pollution by recycling and repurposing as much of it as possible into useable daily items.
However, the plastic recycling processes demonstrated online used machinery that was outside of the school’s available funds which meant students had to apply their critical thinking skills and experiment to see if similar results could be achieved through other means. This motivated the students and the school to rally the support of the P&C community, engage nearby industry networks and apply for a Sustainable Schools Grant.
Through this funding and collaboration, Kooringal High School purchased a plastic granulator to break down larger volumes of plastic into smaller particles and they acquired a sheet press to provide a more reliable method of heating the plastic and reforming the granulated materials into sheets of plastic. Applying their creativity, students crafted incredibly cool looking hanging pendant lamps, keyrings, mobile phone covers and wallets which contributed to their overall sense of accomplishment, fulfillment and purpose.
The increased output from these machines, allowed the school to meet their recycling needs on a much larger, and more meaningful scale and they were able to run a whole unit in their Technology classes, resulting in 180 students a year being able to authentically experience what it means to be a sustainable designer, producer and engaged learner.
As a result of hands-on involvement in this sustainability project, and by nurturing a sense of responsibility, students at Kooringal High School have become more conscious of their plastic consumption and have developed critical life skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. This active participation has not only helped conserve the environment, it has also enhanced their academic experience and significantly impacted their well-being.
In a nod to the circular economy, the Café which generates a lot of the plastic waste, is now used to proudly display these cool creations offering a unique way to publicly acknowledge the terrific work of the students.
By cultivating a deeper sense and awareness of global issues and working together towards actively seeking ways to reduce, reuse and recycle, Kooringal High School is creating a supportive environment where every student feels valued and empowered to make a positive difference. This holistic approach not only strengthens bonds within the school but also extends the impact of sustainability initiatives to the wider community, creating a ripple effect of positive change.
