A targeted campaign to equip Wagga primary students with healthy food waste management techniques has spent an estimated $20,800 on plastic lunch boxes and learning materials.
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It’s part of a wider campaign run by Wagga City Council to provide education around the new food and organics waste collection system.
Council waste education and communications officer Alice Kent said 6500 lunch boxes had been ordered to cover all primary school students in the Wagga local government area.
“The lunch boxes have been manufactured in Australia and will assist students and parents to reduce waste associated with school lunches by providing a reusable container that can replace disposable plastic or paper lunch bags,” she said.
“With each lunch box the students are provided with an activity sheet, which aims to educate students on the correct separation of waste in a fun and engaging way [which] students then pass this message on to their parents and other family members.”
The lunch boxes feature the characters of Munch and Crunch who are the food organics and garden organics champions.
The cost of the lunch boxes are approximately $3.20 per student, however, council has classified the $20,800 price tag as being within budget.
“The 'Go Green for FOGO' schools engagement activity was planned and budgeted for under the communications and education plan endorsed by council for the roll out of the new kerbside waste service,” Ms Kent said.
“Working directly with local school students compliments the community education campaign to inform the wide demographic that makes up the Wagga local government area.”
Sturt Public and South Wagga Primary have taken the next step in the education program, hosting awareness days for the organics collection program.
“Our students wore a splash of green to raise awareness for the changed system last week,” South Wagga Primary principal Tanya Whtye said.
“Council has had the leading role in this campaign, but I think it’s good to educate students about their responsibility to be environmentally friendly.”
