essay on innovative ideas for zero plastic waste school events 500 to 800 words
Answers
Answer:
Single-use plastic is a cheap and convenient way to eat on the go, requiring little preparation and clean-up. However, Australia use 3 million tonnes of plastic a year, recycled at a rate of just 9%.
ABC’s War on Waste has shifted focus towards schools, and students are becoming keenly aware of the challenges we facing due to society’s dependence on disposability and convenience. It is children who will inherit a planet overflowing with waste produced and discarded over decades by billions of people, most of which ends up in our oceans and waterways.
This guide is a toolkit to get school students and sustainability advocates of all ages committed to reducing waste and single-use plastic in our schools.
Prepared with the assistance of Sophia Skarparis, the 2018 Australian Geographic Young Conservationist of the Year, it is based on actions and programs that she and her fellow students implemented at their school in North Sydney.
The school canteen is a great place to start the break-up with single-use plastic. Most canteen products are packaged in plastic containers, cups or bottles and served with plastic cutlery and straws.
Many food items from home are also packaged in single-use plastic, including home-made sandwiches, chip and lolly wrappers, single-serve biscuits or crackers, ice-cream wrappers, and yoghurt containers.
These all significantly contribute to the plastic waste mountain. Replacing single-use packaging with reusable alternatives that can be washed and used again is the best approach. If single-use is a must, then compostable materials such as cardboard or bamboo are appropriate alternatives to plastic.
If you are interested in making your school canteen more sustainable, keep reading for some handy tips to address the problem of single-use plastic in your school.
Explanation: