Sustainability Victoria

Schools across Victoria are rethinking how their campuses are designed and used – embedding sustainability into infrastructure, operations and everyday learning.

Congratulations to this year’s Campus Infrastructure and Operations School of the Year winner, announced at the ResourceSmart Schools Awards earlier this month: Melbourne Indigenous Transition School 👏

Guided by the principles of Caring for Country, students and community members co‑designed campus upgrades, including native landscaping and building improvements. 🏫

Student voice is embedded throughout the campus – from the inclusion of the Eastern Kulin seasonal calendar using Woi‑wurrung language, to artworks and weavings that reflect the school community and ensure culture is visible in learning spaces.

This whole‑of‑school approach shows how infrastructure, culture and learning can come together to strengthen connection to Country and deliver lasting sustainability outcomes. 🌿

For recycled products, meeting Australian safety standards is critical. Without certification, it can be difficult to enter retail markets or compete with imported alternatives made from virgin plastic.

Sustainability Victoria has provided funding on behalf of the Victorian Government to support Zero Plastics Australia to achieve product certification and commercial readiness for recycled‑plastic children’s toys.

This project focuses on testing, compliance and market readiness – helping turn single‑use plastics into durable, locally manufactured products that meet the expectations of retailers, institutions and families. ✅

Despite only beginning their ResourceSmart Schools journey in 2024, Fitzroy North Primary is already delivering results, with sustainability now a central consideration across school life.

Awarded Emerging School of the Year earlier this month, the school’s 'Green Machine' student action team is helping drive measurable waste reduction and biodiversity improvements. 🏆

A major focus has been reducing waste at the school fete. The team worked with parents, local schools, bettercup. and Cirque Du Soil to plan a lower-waste event – and the results were impressive:

📉 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲
🌱 𝟭𝟵 𝗸𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱
♻️ 𝟱𝟴𝟮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme

Thanks to our awards sponsor, the Department of Education, Victoria, for supporting this category and helping recognise schools that are building strong foundations in sustainability. 👏

More electric bikes in use = fewer ending up as e-waste. 🚲

As e-bike use grows, councils are seeing more discarded e-bikes entering transfer stations and hard rubbish streams. This creates a range of challenges – including battery safety risks, higher processing costs, and no clear pathway to recover valuable materials.

Sustainability Victoria has provided $37,500 through the Market Accelerator Fund on behalf of the Victorian Government to support Brainwave Bikes develop a business case for recycling, refurbishing and retailing e-bikes in Melbourne. 👨🏼‍🔧

This project will map out what it takes to scale a circular solution – from collecting used e-bikes through to repair, refurbishment and resale. Higher quality bikes can be returned to use, while batteries and components are safely managed through appropriate recycling pathways.

Students across Victoria are finding practical ways to reduce waste and increase recycling – using Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme to achieve sustainability outcomes. Congratulations to this year’s CDS Vic Excellence Award winners, announced at last week’s ResourceSmart Schools Awards. 🏆

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 – 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹
Students have led campaigns to improve container collection, using audits to identify barriers and using targeted communications to encourage participation. Community events like Clean Up Australia Day have reduced litter in the community while raising funds for school sustainability initiatives.

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 – 𝗟𝗶𝗹𝘆𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲
Students designed new container bins with easier side‑entry slots. Combined with creative campaigns and strategic bin placement, this approach increased the school’s capture rate from 1% to 50% in just one year. Students also painted endangered animal species on the bins to highlight that funds support Zoos Victoria’s Fighting Extinction program.

Thank you to our awards sponsor Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme for supporting this category and helping recognise excellence!

Across Victoria, the kitchen caddy liners accepted in food and garden organics (FOGO) bins can vary between local councils. This is due to differences in composting facilities and what they’re currently able to process – making it harder for households to know which liners to use without checking guidance from their council. 🤔

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗱𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹.

Even liners labelled as "compostable" may not break down as expected in all processing facilities, which can affect how organics are processed and the quality of the final compost.

Sustainability Victoria is providing funding to The Good Sort on behalf of the Victorian Government to achieve Australian Standard compostability certification for liners made locally in Victoria from 100% recycled paper – helping bring a new truly compostable caddy liner option to market. ✅

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 – 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹’𝘀 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗱𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿.

Congratulations to this year’s Student Action Team of the Year winners, announced at last week’s ResourceSmart Schools Awards. These students are taking the lead on sustainability – turning ideas into action within their schools and across their communities.

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 – 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹
Students have worked with their community to design and build a yarning circle, selecting native plants and creating a space for learning and connection to Country. Through partnerships with Landcare Victoria, Rotary, local council and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, they have restored habitat and delivered impactful on‑ground projects.

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 – 𝗟𝗶𝗹𝘆𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲
The student-led Sustainability Club is driving real-world change through initiatives including a school carbon sink planted with native species, container deposit collection supporting Zoos Victoria’s Fighting Extinction program, a community op shop and building nesting boxes for local wildlife.

Thanks to our awards sponsor RMIT University for helping celebrate what’s possible when students are empowered to lead.

🏆 Celebrating our 2026 Teacher of the Year winners, announced at last week's ResourceSmart Schools Awards. These educators are helping shape the next generation of sustainability leaders through practical, real‑world learning.

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 – 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗰𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 – 𝗪𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆
Stephen has transformed the school grounds into a thriving wildlife corridor along with habitats, wetlands and a Stephanie Alexander Garden. His development of the CREATE program enables students who struggle in traditional classrooms to engage in outdoor projects.

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 – 𝗕𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻 – 𝗦𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮'𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗘𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴
Ben has embedded sustainability across the curriculum, using wetlands and gardens as living classrooms. Students explore climate, biodiversity and First Nations knowledge, supported by partnerships with environmental groups, council and other schools that connect learning beyond the school gate.

Thanks to our awards sponsor Bank First for helping recognise these outstanding sustainability educators. 👏