Hello! My name is Ayla, and I am one of the very first ‘WASTE WARRIORS’.
Being a waste warriors comes with the responsibility of doing whatever you can to protect the enviornment and reduce waste.
‘Waste’ covers a broad category. It can mean physical waste – like plastic – or water waste, or energy waste. Did you know that there are more plastic flamingos in the world than real ones? Australians use about 10 million plastic straws EVERY DAY.
And that is why Earth Day matters to me.
I couldn’t wait until April 22nd to express my love for the planet and get the whole school joining in, too. Currently, our school is involved in many Planet Protectors, and I am proud to play a big role in many of them. My pals and I are committed to making the world a better place…. I think it’s about time you start, too!
Ways we can reduce waste every day:
- Say no to straws at fast-food restaurants
- Keep a bucket in the shower to collect unused water
- Invest in products that do NOT use palm oil
- Learn as much as possible
- Teach and educate others
Awesome programs you can become a part of:
- Strength in Numbats
- RSPCA Junior Rescue Officer
- Millennium Kids
- Roots and Shoots
- Knit for Climate Justice
Ways to get started with friends:
- Organise a Monthly or Annually Beach Clean-up
- Hold a fundraiser
- Campaign at School
- Brainstorm and think of some more, original ideas!!
We started a school Compost. This is where people put their food scraps into a separate bin where it can decompose and turn into soil. This reduces plastic packaging of store-bought soil, toxic gasses, and the amount of food waste going into landfill. Did you know that when fruit and vegetable waste breaks down among plastic, they create toxic gasses that can kill animals!?
WE also participate in REDCYCLE. REDCYCLE is a program that you can and should start at your own home. We separate our soft-plastics and return them to Coles where they get recycled through REDCYCLE. Soft plastics cannot go in the normal recycling bin and take up to thousands of years to biodegrade in landfill or out in the natural environment. That is why REDCYCLE is so important. Did you know that if there is even ONE contamination in the recycling bin, the entire load goes to landfill!
ECO CLUB. Eco Club is a club that is on at lunchtimes on Thursdays. In Eco Club, we make habitats for animals and brainstorm how to help the environment. Eco Club is a fun and educational activity for all you who care. I encourage you to join if you’re interested.
At the end of the day, I don’t want to protect the environment; I want to live in a world where the environment doesn’t need protection.
