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“The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth. In many parts of the planet, the elderly lament that once beautiful landscapes are now covered with rubbish.”  Pope Francis – Laudato Si

This statement from our Pope illustrates how materialistic and ‘throw-away’ the culture in our society has become. Religious or not, Pope Francis makes a point, like all environmentalists from the past and present, we throw away so much and nature simply cannot keep up. We buy the newest technology, throw away edible food a day after the ‘use-by’ date, and pack everything into single use plastics. Is this sustainable? With a growing population and our lifestyles becoming even more materialistic, single cookies are being wrapped in three different packages to help make everything convenient.

As parents we have to ask ourselves; what kind of an example are we setting for our children?

I have a mum who tries hard to throw away as little as possible and we feed a lot of our food scraps to the chickens. This certainly has influenced some of my decisions regarding waste reduction.

Three years ago, I decided to make a difference in my own little way; to go “Nude Food”. Nude food reduces the need for a large amount of plastic bags and wraps. The containers used instead will last for years and can save money when buying bulk food instead of the prepackaged individual bags. It also helps you consider packing a healthier option e.g. fruit is package free. This only takes a few moments longer each morning and during shopping trips, and I’ve found it to be not only very achievable but also very satisfying.

When you take a walk through the school, it can be disappointing to see how many plastic chip and cracker bags lay around on the ground and fill up the bins. By using nude food packaging, you have the power to change this. You can start any day by buying a big box of chips or biscuits and a plastic container.

I hope you and your children are able to have this conversation around the breakfast table; your children are the future and I believe change starts with parents and children working together to reduce their impact.

The well-known ABC show ‘War on Waste’ has started again. If you have missed out, stream past episodes or sessions on ABC iView. Together we can make a difference.

Evangelia Wichmann | 2018 Female School Captain

If you would like to contact us we would love to hear from you, your thoughts and suggestions. #sustainabilityatTWC

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