Sustainability in action at Bella Wiyn Birralee

A Drysdale early years facility that applied a centre-wide program to enhance its sustainability is fast-paced in direction of its aim of minimal meals waste.

The Metropolis-operated Bella Wiyn Biralee Household Centre gives long-daycare locations and built-in kindergarten packages for as much as 91 kids every day. And whereas educating kids concerning the pure atmosphere is a part of the centre’s studying program, educators have adopted a extra hands-on studying method.

Employees, kids, and their households are actually working collectively to cut back waste, save power and preserve water on the centre. The partnership is already reaping sustainability rewards, together with a giant discount in meals waste.

The centre’s business kitchen generates roughly 30 kilograms of meals waste every day within the preparation of meals and snacks for the 91 kids. These meals scraps and leftovers are being composted on website utilizing compost bins and worm farms, with any extra meals taken dwelling by households and employees for his or her chickens.

The centre’s sustainability journey began with an environmental footprint ‘inspiration board’ within the lobby the place sustainable concepts had been listed. They began finishing easy actions like turning off lights to save lots of power, and conserving water by reusing water utilized in play actions on backyard beds.

With assist from households, they launched reuse and upcycling initiatives reminiscent of reusing glass jars for plant containers or pencil holders. Some employees additionally dedicated to carpool for the drive to work.

Assistance is now coming from additional afield with employees from our waste division visiting the centre final month to ship a brand new compost bin and prolong kids’s learnings on worm farms and composting. Employees from the native Bunnings outlet additionally pitched in to assist arrange new vegie gardens and plant seedlings with kids.

Educators from Bella Wiyn Birralee additionally take part in a sustainability working group arrange for educators from the 11 Council-operated centres the place they will share concepts, present suggestions and plan future tasks.

Suzannah McCoy – Bella Wiyn Biralee Household Centre Early childhood educator and sustainability consultant

This system permits kids to see sustainable dwelling in motion after which take these newly realized behaviours dwelling with them.

They grow to be a part of the answer and may higher perceive the significance of their actions.

We wish them to know that each motion, regardless of how small, could make a distinction in nurturing and defending the environment.