Sustainability in practice

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The Parent Community Association (PCA) Second-Hand Uniforms (SHU) volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that beyond providing excellent quality garments to the community, they contribute to a circular economy. In practice, this means diverting as much as possible from landfill, and ensuring that garments continue to be loved. This is no easy task as the SHU receive a considerable number of garments each month. Much of it is high quality and they are grateful for the care that students take with their uniform! With growing demand from current families, most are sold to the parent community, however some garments remain unsold either because there are excess quantities or because the items have been phased out and are no longer part of the uniform. What happens to these excess garments? The PCA partners with two foundations who do incredible work in the Pacific region - building infrastructure, connecting running water and supplying children with everything they need for school. The PCA proudly supplies the Katalyst Foundation with the excess summer dresses, shirts and shorts. General Manager, Liz Zamanis-Robertson (OM 1992) says “Uniforms are so important, they promote a sense of community and belonging to a group, they encourage unity. When donations such as uniforms reach the other end, they are met with so much gratitude and happiness, their reactions continue to spur us on in our work. The children often squeal with delight and are so excited – we see this reaction from all age groups as there is little to no chance that uniforms could be bought for many of these students”. Katalyst Foundation focuses much of its work in these remote, underprivileged communities of Vanua Levu, Fiji. Additionally, the PCA are delighted to support the Reagan Milstein Foundation in Tonga, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, providing sport uniforms, backpacks and rugby jerseys to be redistributed to youth football teams and communities. Leftover garments are also used by Year 12 students to create their uniform costume masterpieces worn at their breakfast celebration on Valedictory Day. Only a very small number items, equating to less than one rubbish bin per year, is deemed unusable, and the PCA is working on plans for these to go to a fabric recycler, again ensuring they do not end up in landfill. Current PCA SHU Leader Amy Rose is extremely proud that even beyond their life within the St Michael’s community, the garments continue to serve a purpose to others. The tireless work of the previous PCA SHU Leader and past parent, Anouk Hulme, whose dedication to sustainability was a driving force in ensuring these garments would go on to live a renewed life, is also acknowledged. “When donations such as uniforms reach the other end, they are met with so much gratitude and happiness, their reactions continue to spur us on in our work. The children often squeal with delight and are so excited – we see this reaction from all age groups as there is little to no chance that uniforms could be bought for many of these students” “Uniforms are so important, they promote a sense of community and belonging to a group, they encourage unity. They also transport students to learning mode as soon as they are put on”. Learn more: rmf.world/ and katalystfoundation.org

1. SHU Volunteer Anwyn Griffiths packaging the sport uniforms for the

Reagan Milstein Foundation 2. SHU Leader Amy Rose with current parent Jo Rosenthal, on her way to deliver the garments to the Reagan Milstein Foundation