Santa Maria College in conjunction with Greenbatch and the John Curtin Leadership Academy hosted a staff professional development workshop titled, “Sustainability in Schools” on Tuesday.

Around 50 staff from metropolitan schools attended to learn more about opportunities to implement sustainability and recycling initiatives in schools. Hannah Fay outlined the range of initiatives Santa Maria has implemented to raise awareness and participation in sustainable practices like plastic bottle recycling, the use of non-plastic containers in the school canteen and community projects like planting and weeding in the local foreshore reserve.

The founder of WA’s first plastic bottle recycling company, Greenbatch, presented information about the initiative and the role schools can play in promoting and educating young people about the importance of recycling plastic.

Participants observed a demonstration of the plastic recycling process and viewed examples of activities the Santa Maria Eco-Sisters service group have participated in. These included wax wrap making,  paper recycling and a recent holiday project undertaken by Years 9 and 10 students to design a fold-down bin for GreenBatch events.

The afternoon concluded with a presentation from Water Corp about ways to use water more sustainably and opportunities to network with staff from other schools.