Zero waste initiative with Elena Sales
The Zero Waste Initiative has been stirring up excitement among teachers and students all over KSS. It was suggested last year by previous Student Council President, Shelby Bell. The initiative had to be put on hold when the pandemic hit and schools closed. With Bell having graduated in the 2019/2020 school year, the initiative was left leaderless. Luckily, passionate environmentalist and current student council president, Elena Sales, was more than happy to take on the project. In an interview conducted by Zoom, Sales recalled that the main barrier they hit, trying to get this initiative going, was a lack of funding. This problem didn’t last too long; the Regional District of Nanaimo (R.D.N) donated a grant originally just for compost bins, which then expanded to cover the cost of the entire initiative. Sales reports there were some COVID-19 related health concerns about the school-wide recycling bins. Touching the lids might contribute to the spreading of germs, but these concerns were taken care of by keeping the lids open and having hand sanitizing stations nearby. “It’s such an important thing that we’re implementing a zero waste program” Sales stated. When asked why reducing waste needs to be a priority, Sales said “It’s such an easy thing to do, it just takes a little bit of eort … It’s an easy way to make a big impact”. Sales said bringing zero waste lunches is one of the best things students at KSS can do to reduce waste. The possibility that removing garbage cans would lead to increased littering was also a concern for some KSS students. However, Sales said she hasn’t noticed an increase in littering since garbage cans have been removed. The response has been “..mostly positive. People are really excited to see a zero waste program.” Subsequent to the Zero Waste Initiative’s introduction, many classes - like Ms. Mattice’s Career Ed and Mr. Leggett’s Outdoor Ed class - have been doing garbage cleanups around the train tracks and walkways behind KSS, sometimes going into the town to clean up as well. Despite these eorts, there have been complaints from Qualicum Beach residents about the litter surrounding the trail to town and it doesn’t require one to look very far to find evidence justifying these complaints. To students who have been littering, Sales says: “Please don’t. It’s extremely disrespectful to, not only the citizens, but to the environment and to everyone … It paints KSS in a bad light.” To the students who have been doing their part to keep our school clean, keep it up! Keep bringing zero waste lunches and use reusable water bottles. Buy from minimal waste, ethical clothing brands and food with less packaging. There are so many little things you can do to reduce your waste. Do your best to keep up the momentum of living a minimal waste lifestyle and soon the little choices you make become habits that are second nature and require no extra eort. As conscientious students, we cannot create, nor condone, an environment where littering is acceptable. Please encourage your peers to make responsible choices.
Comments