Cape Naturaliste College home economics teacher Tannis Brennan has been commended as a top performer by WA's recycling and waste industry for changing the way the school sorts its waste in the 2021 WasteSorted Awards.
Ms Brennan implemented a five bin system at the school to change the way staff and students sorted waste. A six station system was introduced for recycling, soft plastics, containers-for-change, food scraps and general waste.
"We used to have 31 general waste bins that went to general waste every Friday," she said.
"Now we only have six general waste bins going out each week and they are never full so we have reduced our waste a lot.
"We have also returned around 3,000 containers this year."
Ms Brennan said the food scrap bucket went to the school's two worm farms, a compost bin and in-ground compost to try and implement the circular economy.
"We are hoping to have vegetable gardens next so the worm compost goes to those and we create that circular economy," she said.
"It is certainly teaching our students how to sort waste rather than just throwing it away.
"The idea is if they are doing it at school then hopefully they go home and continue on into adulthood by sorting waste rather than putting everything into general waste."
Ms Brennan said the students had embraced the school's new waste sorting system and were managing it really well.
"We were already doing it in home economics now we have implemented it across the school so it is every student and staff member, not just the home economic students," he said.
Ms Brennan said she was really excited to receive the award and while she instigated the program it was the staff and students who made it work.
"It is an award for everyone because they have embraced it really well and they are making it work," she said.
"We have also introduced a waste warriors committee with seven students who help make it work and bring new ideas to the school and what we can do in the future."
