Recycling Tips

There are a number of simple steps we can all take to Reuse and Recycle much of the waste that is produced in our school and at home.

Check you are putting the right plastics in the kerbside recycle bin. Only recycle plastics that have the recycling triangle with a number in it. All other plastics should go in the rubbish bin.  It helps if you remove any food and wash them. If you aren’t sure check with the Auckland Council [www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or phone 301 0101]

Put your glass in the Recycle Bin. Recycled glass reduces air pollution by 20 percent and water pollution by 50 percent. If it isn't recycled it can take a million years to decompose. Every ton of glass recycled saves the equivalent of nine litres of fuel oil needed to make glass from raw materials.

Recycle aluminium cans. Twenty recycled aluminium cans can be made with the energy it takes to manufacture one brand new one.

Supermarket plastic bags are not biodegradable and are making their way into our oceans, and subsequently, the food chain. Buy the stronger, reusable bags from your local Supermarket. They are cheaper in the long run, will last for a long time and will help the environment 

Each year millions of batteries are produced and sold and most of them are disposable alkaline batteries. Only a fraction of those are recycled. Instead of disposing of them buy a charger and a few sets of rechargeable batteries. 

PCS Environment Group 

Some tips about Worm Farms

Worm farms are easy to make.
You can usually buy one from your local Plant store and staff will tell you how to get the special 'Tiger Worms' and how to set it up.
Here are some tips...

Worm Farming

A Worm Farm is a simple, easy to use composting system that turns your kitchen waste into organic fertilizer and Worm Tea.

Setting up is as easy as shredding newspaper (or computer paper), adding a bit of water, and introducing Tiger Worms.

Burying kitchen waste in the newspaper and the worms will eat the food, newspaper (called "bedding") and bacteria, turning everything into nutrient rich ‘tea’ for use in gardens and house plants.

Composting can be done virtually anywhere.

Worm tea and castings are one of the best fertilizers on the planet. Worms can turn kitchen scraps, yard waste and even newspapers into valuable fertilizer.

Earthworms require a lot of oxygen to be healthy. This is accomplished by allowing the air to pass from the very bottom of the bin through the bedding.

Worms breath through their skin, but they do not have gills so keep your farm moist but not saturated as this will cut off the oxygen. Squeeze out a couple of drops of water just like a damp sponge to keep it moist.

Mites are normal inhabitants and are OK, but ants can be a problem. Put feet on your bin and place a tray with water in it. This will keep out any critter that crawls, but then you have to deal with the fruit fly. Place a saucer of vinegar nearby to attract and drown the fruit fly. 

Have fun with your worm farm.
PCS Environment Group

Worm Tea

At PCS we have a Worm Farm which we use to make worm tea. We do this by taking food scraps and feeding them to our worms. We sell the Worm Tea for $3 a bottle to raise funds to buy more seeds and plants for our garden. It is for sale in Reception.

Worm tea is great for the garden and pot plants because it adds nutrients to the soil. It's really easy to use - just add 10 bottles of water to one bottle of Worm Tea then pour it into the soil.
We will be selling it from our Environment stand at our school fair on Saturday 23 March. We look forward to seeing you there.

PCS Environment Group.

Happy worms making worm tea in our Worm Farm.

The Environment Group at work

We have been weeding and watering the garden. At this time of the year the garden is really dry so we have to water it every day and get rid of the weeds as they 'steal' a lot of water that is meant for our plants.

We have been harvesting some yummy beans, courgettes, tomatoes and spinach and taking them home to eat.

We have also just planted some radishes, lettuces and celery.

We are having fun in the garden and enjoy feeding the worms in our worm farm.

PCS Environment Group.

PCS Environment Group Blog

Hi - welcome to the Papatoetoe Central School Environment Group Blog.
The Environment Group are responsible for the Worm farm, the compost and the Vegetable Garden. We also encourage everyone to recycle as much as they can.
There are 12 of us students plus Mr McAleer.
We work really hard at keeping the school environmentally sound.
We will keep our Blog updated with what is happening in the vegetable garden including what do plant in the seasons and what to do each month. We will also give tips on how to recycle.
Keep an eye on our Blog as it will have lots of great ideas.
Ka kite ano
PCS Environment Group