Containers for Change bins are located next to general waste bins; both are clearly labelled with details of correct disposal for each bin. They are placed in high traffic areas and use the Australian Standard red colour for general waste, and the well-recognised teal and white for Containers for Change bins.

Like many schools, there is some contamination in Containers for Change bins, so a system was needed to separate containers from contaminated material. A call was made to teaching staff to find a class that could embed Containers for Change into its weekly schedule. Fortunately, Certificate in Business teacher, Judith Hunt teaches sustainable practices in business, and allocated one lesson per week for her class to carry out the Containers for Change separation and collection process.

Students use trolleys and rubbish grabbers (funded by a WasteSorted Schools grant in 2023) to collect containers and move the contaminated material to general waste bins. Students take the trolleys to the large Containers for Change collection bin, which is in their carpark and accessible to the wider community. Good Sammys provides and services the large bin which was collected originally once a term. The collection systems are working so well that the bin needs to be collected up to three times a term now!

Gardeners meet students at the Containers for Change collection bin to unlock it and monitor when a collection needs to be arranged. Over the last 18 months, the college has raised almost $1,000 and prevented over 12,500 containers from ending up in landfill.

Congratulations to the passionate team of students and staff at Ellenbrook Secondary College for establishing such an efficient system to help reduce containers going to landfill!