BALNARRING Primary School has collected a staggering 798 pairs of shoes for recycling to become the national prize winner in the TreadLightly sustainability awards.
Students at the school collected the shoes and raised awareness by giving a short presentation on TreadLightly to each class to encourage students, parents, teachers and the wider community to get behind the cause.
Their efforts have won $8600 in prizes and school resources.
Teacher Kate Large said the school was dedicated to sustainability and “we know kids’ feet grow so quickly”.
“This was a perfect opportunity for our school to get onboard with an initiative to divert waste from landfill,” Large said.
“Sustainability is an integral part of our curriculum and is embedded in everything that we do. The students are so passionate and are always looking for ways to care for our environment.”
Across Australia, school students collected more than five tonnes of shoes to divert them from landfill.
Balnarring Primary is among the top eight schools in the 2022 National School Recycling Drive, which saw almost 10,000 pairs of shoes recycled.
Over 100 schools participated in the initiative run by TreadLightly over one week (21-27 March). Open to all child care centres, primary and secondary schools across Australia – the winning schools will receive prizes comprising of shoe vouchers, sporting equipment and recycled gym mats.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 17 May 2022
