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Kerbside Krew
The Background
Most people living in Australian cities take recycling for granted. But for students living in Eudunda, a small rural community of about 900 people in the Adelaide Hills, recycling became an opportunity to learn about their own skills as well as local sustainability issues. Supported by environment education coordinator, Dennis Marshall, the school embarked on an ambitious project to provide kerbside recycling services to the town. This project was designed as a lifeskills opportunity for a group of students lacking some motivation to attend school. The students chose this project "to help the community and the environment, to show leadership, to have school successes and be happier at school, and to get work experience". Inspired by their motto "Our business is picking up!", the Kerbside Krew took to the streets.
The Project
With grant assistance from the South Australian Education Department, Dennis and the Krew started building the infrastructure needed to run their recycling business. Local residents were encouraged to subscribe to the recycling scheme while the school provided the facilities and staff to run the project. With extra revenue coming from the sale of recycling bins the school was off to a good start. Sorting facilities were set up at the school to prepare the town’s recyclables for transportation to Adelaide. After some in-depth community consultation and targeted marketing, the program now has over 80 local businesses and households involved in the program. While the Kerbside Krew provides a much needed service to the community its most important feature is that it is fully integrated with the school curriculum as an accredited subject.
The Journey
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The Kerbside Krew has turned an 'environmental problem' into an economic opportunity. The money raised is funnelled back into the project, making sure it is financially sustainable.
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This project is a great example of a holistic sustainability education project. It addresses a range of social, environmental, economic and personal sustainability issues and is fully integrated into the school's curriculum.
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The project encourages students, teachers, parents and the wider community to work collaboratively to reduce waste and improve their local environment.
Through sustainability education, students can have highly relevant learning opportunities and communities can learn to reduce their environmental impact. The Eudunda community is working together to reduce their waste going to landfill and create a more sustainable future.
