Going Green

We speak to Lilias Smart, Scarlett Smith and Stella Vidler about their IB CAS project and their vision for a cleaner, greener Queenwood.

ABOVE:

What is CAS?

All students studying the IB diploma are involved in a CAS project, which focuses on creativity, activity, or service. Our group undertook a direct service initiative within our school community.

What was the issue you identified?

In the past, Queenwood has installed bins in the playground and all the contents have gone to landfill. We noticed all the classrooms had paper recycling bins which the girls always used. We thought: What if we provided the option to recycle lunch and other waste in the playground as well?

We spoke to our teachers who said the School was considering an alternative waste company who specialised in sustainability so we worked with staff to purchase recycling bins for Senior School campuses.

How did you address the problem?

Queenwood’s transition to a new bin system has been exciting to oversee. However, installing these bins around our school was only the first step. A 2019 Planet

Ark study showed that although 96% of Australians are eager to recycle and reduce their waste, 94% still make mistakes when it comes to recycling. Placing just one piece of waste in the wrong bin causes the whole load to go to landfill. 80% of the items buried in landfill can be recycled, which is an issue that can be addressed through awareness.

Our response was to develop and carry out a recycling education campaign within the School to assist with the roll out of the new bins. This campaign has involved a school-wide presentation about how to use the bins, as well as working alongside Queenwood designers to create posters and bin labels that inform and prompt action. Through raising awareness about correct recycling practices, we hope Queenwood’s efforts to recycle and reduce waste are successful.

Was it successful?

Being in lockdown has meant we haven’t yet been able to deliver our campaign face-to-face with the Queenwood community. This means it is a bit early to know whether our campaign has been successful. But Quay Clean, our school’s waste distributor provides us with frequent waste audits. Our aim is to increase our average recycling rates to consistently above 80%, like the other organisations Quay Clean has worked with like the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Cricket Ground.

It is important that students and teachers alike understand how to recycle correctly as instilling good habits early to help us move towards a more sustainable school will require everyone to participate.

What are the next steps?

The report from the waste component for the first month the bins were installed showed over half of our waste is now being recycled. A good start, but we will need to improve to reach our goal of 80%. Cleanwood are looking to introduce some exciting competitions and prizes across the school, so keep an eye out in 2022!

What did you learn?

Working with a professional designer was an amazing opportunity. It allowed us to produce a campaign that embodied Queenwood values and spirit, thus establishing its presence within our school community. This process showed us the importance of documentation and planning, as we had to consider how our design choices would influence the audience and motivate them to participate (even when no one is watching).

We briefed the designer who offered us five alternative creative territories for the project. In deciding on a creative direction we realised that it wasn’t about looking pretty, it was about educating people about the consequences of their decisions in a way that motivated rather than chastised. We paired the aesthetic (colours, fonts, shapes) from one creative territory with the concept from another, as presenting information with clarity was our most important objective. •