MLMC is part of the Sustainability Victoria’s five-star ResourceSmart Schools program and currently we have achieved four stars. Our last module is focused on waste reduction.
To assist with this, we ask parents to consider reducing the use of plastic clingfilm — try using a lunchbox instead (nude food) to help reduce the amount of waste entering the school.
With this in mind, we also encourage our community members to consider how environmentally friendly their practices are at home.
How enviro friendly is your house? What a waste!
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average Australian creates just over 2,000kg of waste each year. Each household spends $1,266 on goods purchased but were never used. Around $600 worth of food is wasted by each household every year. Toxic chemical waste also accounts for a large amount of landfill that can be diverted via alternative safe methods.
Sustainability Victoria has instigated a program to assist households detox dangerous chemicals. Highly toxic items such as chemicals should never be put in your rubbish bins or poured down the drain. You can drop off household chemicals at free Detox Your Home events, held around Victoria. Disposing of toxic items correctly will:
- reduce the risk to the environment and human health
- help keep our waterways clean
- prevent chemicals from ending up in landfill
- reuse precious resources.
Items accepted include weed killer, cosmetics cooking oil and cleaning products.
Check the full list of items that are accepted. Note Detox Your Home events are for households not commercial operations.
You can also view upcoming events on a map.
Other household products that can be recycled
Old batteries and phones can be deposited at IGA, Coles and Woolworths supermarkets. Mobile phones, chargers and batteries can be returned and added to the Officeworks recycling program.
Australia Post and Nespresso also offer coffee pod recycling programs. The Nespresso coffee capsule recycling program has more than 19,000 collection points throughout Australia (including post boxes). There are three easy ways to recycle the capsules:
- Return your used capsules to your nearest Nespresso boutique
- Use a bulk recycling box to collect capsules on behalf of your workplace or community
- Order your Nespresso Australia Post satchel and return it via Australia Post once it's full.
Check with other manufacturers to find out if they run a recycling program for their capsules. Visit Terracycle for more information on other programs.
Send us a photo and tell us how/what you have set up regarding your recycling efforts. Email to afeher@mlmc.vic.edu.au
Upcoming events
March
Business Clean Up Day (March 1)
ABARES Outlook 2022 Conference (March 1-4)
World Wildlife Day (March 3)
Schools Clean Up Day (March 4)
SeaWeek (March 5-13)
Parks Week (March 5-13)
Clean Up Australia Day (March 6)
National Groundwater Awareness Week (TBC)
Global Recycling Day (TBC)
International Day of Forests (March 21)
Sustainable Seafood Week (March 21-27)
World Water Day (March 22)
World Meteorological Day (March 23)
National Eucalypt Day (March 23)
National Ride2School Day (March 25)
Earth Hour (March 26)
World Veterinary Association Congress (March 29-31)
April
Australian Heritage Festival (April 1 – May 31)
World Heritage Day (April 18)
Earth Day (April 22)
World Penguin Day (April 25)
World Veterinary Day (April 30) (last Saturday in April)
May
International Composting Awareness Week (May 1-7)
Beef Australia 2022 (May 2-8)
National Volunteer Week (TBC)
World Bee Day (May 20)
International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22)
World Turtle Day (May 23)
June
World Environment Day (June 5)
International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (June 5)
World Food Safety Day (June 7)
World Oceans Day (June 8)
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (June 17)
Sustainable Gastronomy Day (June 18)
Whole Grain Week (TBC)
July
Plastic Free July (July 1-31)
World Mangrove Day (International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem) (July 26)
National Farm Safety Week (3rd week July)
Schools Tree Day (July 29)
World Ranger Day (July 31)
National Tree Day (July 31)
August
Platypus month (August 1-31)
Landcare Week (TBC)
National Science Week (August 13-21)
Keep Australia Beautiful Week (TBC)
World Humanitarian Day (August 19)
September
National Biodiversity Month (September 1-31)
National Wattle Day (September 1)
National Walk to Work Day (TBC)
Australasian Seed Science Conference (TBC)
National Threatened Species Day (September 7)
Bushcares Major Day Out – BMDO (TBC)
National Bilby Day (September 11)
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (September 16)
National Organic Week (TBC)
International Microorganism Day (TBC)
World Car-Free Day (September 22 - TBC)
World Rivers Day (September 25)
World Rabies Day (September 28)
International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction(September 29)
World Maritime Day (September 29)
October
Australian Wildlife Week (October 3-9)
World Habitat Day (October 4)
World Seabird Conference (TBC)
World Cotton Day (October 7)
World Migratory Bird Day (May 14, October 8)
International Day for Disaster Reduction (October 13)
World Egg Day (October 14)
International Day of Rural Women (October 15)
World Food Day (October 16)
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17)
Gone Fishing Day (TBC)
National Bird Week (October 17-23)
Aussie Backyard Bird Count (October 17-23)
National Water Week (3rd week in October)
National Ride-2-Work Day (TBC)
Australian National Field Days (ANFD) (October 20-22)
United Nations Day (October 24)
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (October 27)
November
National Biosecurity Forum and Australian Biosecurity Awards (TBC)
One Health Day (November 3)
World Tsunami Awareness Day (November 5)
Pollinator Week (TBC)
National Recycling Week (2nd week of November)
World Science Day for Peace and Development (November 10)
World Antibiotic Awareness Week (November 18-24)
World Toilet Day (November 19)
National Agriculture Day (TBC)
World Fisheries Day (November 21)
World Olive Tree Day (November 26)
December
World Soil Day (December 5)
International Volunteer Day (December 5)
Coastcare Week (TBC)
