| Sustainability at Seton | | http://www.seton.qld.edu.au/news-and-events/Pages/Sustainability-at-Seton.aspx | Sustainability at Seton | <div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="line-height:107%;font-family:"arial",sans-serif;font-size:14pt;">The A-Z of Sustainability at Seton</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:black;font-family:"tahoma",sans-serif;">“Nature is inexhaustibly sustainable if we care for it. It is our universal responsibility to pass a healthy earth onto future generations.”<span> </span></span><a href="https://staffportal.bne.catholic.edu.au/owa/redir.aspx?C=DLn_XiTtVESQgJfL7Fd65jj4uK8W49IIyX5t1WQ_-GZdL5sofHzlVEyN3U8wJ7WKzyVVDBrzbUo.&URL=http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2869938.Sylvia_Dolson" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"tahoma",sans-serif;"><font color="#0000ff">Sylvia Dolson</font></span></a><span style="color:black;font-family:"tahoma",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;"><br><br>A</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">quaponics</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">Aquaponics is currently under construction, thanks to a Brisbane City Council Grant.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">C</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">hickens</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">Heritage chickens produce eggs daily. They are sold to the staff and community. The eggs are also used within the Home Economics Department. Any scraps from the tuckshop and Home Ec areas are given to the chickens to enhance their diets.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">C</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">lean Up Australia Day - Schools</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">In March, for the past five years each Pastoral Care Group has been assigned an area of the school to clean up the rubbish. Where possible, we recycle the rubbish into the co-mingled recycling bin once it has been sorted. Clean Up Australia Day provides us with rubbish bags and gloves.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">D</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">ual flush toilets</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">All toilets are dual flushing, reducing our water usage overall.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">E</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">arth Hour</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">Earth Hour is celebrated globally each year at the end of March. We encourage community members to reduce their carbon footprint through greater awareness of energy use in the home, at work and the global effects on climate change.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">e</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">Learning</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">All students have their own laptop. They use MySite and Life to access their work electronically rather than using paper based copies. Generally, student assessments are stored electronically.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">E</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">nvironmental Liturgy</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">A celebration of our environment and what we can do to ensure we are living as sustainably as possible. As a Catholic school in the Brisbane Archdiocese, we support the Catholic ethos of Stewardship of God’s Creation.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">E</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">nvironmental Science Organic Gardens</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">Students and staff are engaged in the clearing, planting, maintenance and overall upkeep of the gardens and College grounds. The Seton Organic Garden Produce Project is an integral part of the community, where organically grown flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruit “from paddock to plate” are available to the Seton community. </span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">E</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">quipment</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">Recently all printers and photocopiers have been updated and are more energy efficient. They all have power saver mode and can print double sided, reducing paper waste. Students have to check before printing their work.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">G</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">reen Heart Schools Competition</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">We were winners of the 2014 Brisbane City Council Green Heart Schools Teacher Award, each PC Room has a ‘green heart’ reminding us of our stewardship to sustainable practices. We gain awards in these categories – Little Steps “Beginner” Runner Up, Big Strides Little Steps My Footprints Showcase Awards 2014, Little Steps “Classroom” Runner Up big Strides Little Steps My Footprints Showcase Awards.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">G</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">rey water system</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">A grey water system has been set up for the new Year 7 building. It is used in the toilets within the building.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">I</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">ndigenous Garden</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">The Indigenous Garden has a selection of Indigenous (native) plants and bush foods, including lemon myrtles, finger limes and native mint bush. A log reflection area has been set up for use by classes and during breaks.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">I</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">rrigation systems</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">The Certificate I in Agrifood Operations students have been actively engaged in setting up the irrigation systems throughout the school. The irrigation systems are attached to the water tanks and timers are used to irrigate the gardens at night or at times when the least evaporation will take place.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">L</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">ow flow taps and shower heads</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">The new shower block and toilets have been fitted out with low flow taps and shower heads. Overall reducing the amount of water used in these areas. Other taps and showerheads have also been changed over to a low flow system.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">M</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">ulching bays</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">All mulching bays have been set up for use within the Environmental Science and Ag classes. The mulch is used within the school to suppress weed growth and in preparation for the next round of crops.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">N</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">ational Tree Planting Day</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">The school participates annually in the National Tree Planting Day, this year we planted Lemon Myrtles and other Indigenous plants in the Indigenous Garden.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">O</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">rchard</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">Our orchard has a variety of fruits including oranges, mandarins, grapefruits, lemonades, cumquats, finger limes, curry trees, Kaffir limes, bay leaves and lemons. The fruit is available to the Seton community.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">R</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">ecycling</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">We have a large co-mingled recycling bin. Once per week the students collect paper recycling from the recycling bins located in each classroom within the school. The tuckshop encourages students to recycle plastic bottles and pizza boxes through a generous remuneration system. Terracycle Pods are also recycled through the school. We are a community collection point for the Nestle pods. Our green waste is recycled through a large green bin and the Art and Manual Arts Departments recycle in many ways, reducing our rubbish.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">S</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">hredding</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">As part of the Environmental Club students shred approximately five garbage bags of paper. Business students are also involved in the shredding of non-confidential documents. Students must remove all staples from the paper prior to shredding. The bags are taken to the local pet shop at Carindale to be used as puppy and kitten litter. </span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">S</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">olar panels</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">We have 28 solar panels at school. The energy generated has reduced not only our overall carbon footprint but also electricity costs.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">W</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">aste management</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">The diligent efforts of the Senior Outdoor Garden Maintenance crew have reduced the overall waste and litter around the school grounds by picking up rubbish twice weekly.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">W</span></b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">ater tanks</span></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">We have several water tanks which are used to irrigate the flower and vegie gardens. The rain water is also used to top up the swimming pool.</span></div>
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<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">Projects:</span></b></div>
<div style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">Lighting – to change our fluorescent lights to LED lights over time. We have applied for an Energex Grant to assist us with the change-over of the least efficient lights first.</span></div>
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