The Queensland Government has funded more than 100 school-based organic waste reduction projects, encouraging the next generation to get excited about composting and reducing green waste and food scraps from entering landfill.

Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said 113 Queensland state schools will share a total of $232,247 under round two of the Organic Waste Smart Schools program.

“These grants will support projects designed to teach students about fun ways to reduce and re-use organic waste including worm farms and living compost systems, waste separation bins and gardening tools to turn their waste into useable organic material,” Minister Scanlon said.

“This is a great way to teach students of all ages about the science behind composting and the benefits of reducing organic waste going to landfill.”

State schools across Queensland have received funding under round two of the program, including:

• Urandangi State School in Boulia Shire which will receive $2,455 to introduce ‘Go Green Recycling Stations’ into classrooms where students will get involved in collecting, sorting and recycling classroom waste including organics, plastics, paper and other recyclables waste. This project will also fund worm farms and related equipment to manage the organic waste collected by the school.
  
  

• Labrador State School on the Gold Coast which will receive $2,278 to incorporate organic waste recycling into a larger recycling system by purchasing a worm farm, compost bins and wheelie bins.

• Belgian Gardens State School in Townsville which will receive $1,785 to create a black fly larvae composting system which will be used to dispose of the school’s food waste, turning it into food for the flies. The flies will then be used to feed the school’s chickens, lizards and finches from their black-throated finch breeding program.

• Junction Park State School in Brisbane will receive $2,305 to fund a ‘chook tractor’ and two chickens, which will be moved to weedy areas and to exhausted garden beds, where they will eat the weeds and replenish the garden by adding fertilizer to the soil.

While visiting Holland Park State School in South Brisbane, Minister Scanlon said the school would receive $2,500 to implement waste separation bins to reduce the amount of organic waste going into landfill and embed the process of recycling, including composting, into the curriculum.

“Not only will the school install separation bins on campus, but they will use the bins to teach the students about how to use them and why it’s important,” she said.

“Students in the Eco Warriors group will lead the way, encouraging the other children to get involved and use the bins.

“It is great to see Queensland’s next generation so passionate about reducing organic waste and I look forward to seeing all of these projects come to life across the state.”