Sustainable Schools

Chatham Primary School is continually working to improve its environmental credentials and has now become a leading school in environmental sustainability. 

There are a number of initiatives in place at Chatham aimed at reducing the school's environmental footprint. These include: Rubbish Free Lunch Days, where students are encouraged to bring “nude food” (with minimal packaging) and awards are given to the best class each week. Recycling of paper and other recyclable material takes place and food scraps are composted for the vegetable garden. Energy saving monitors have been appointed in each class to encourage responsible energy use, and Water Wise Workers use buckets to recycle water from the drink taps to put the water on the garden.

The Chatham School Council has established a Sustainability and Environment Committee that is made up of enthusiastic teachers and parents. The Committee ensures the school follows the Resource Smart Schools program, and has achieved a great deal in the last two years. The Committee has created a Sustainability Policy, a Green Procurement Policy and an Environmental Sustainability Master Plan. The Committee keeps the school community informed of all actions taken.