Sustainability at
Redlands
Since 1884, Redlands has always been willing to press forward to embrace the future. This culture continues today and is reflected in our Strategic Plan which aims to enrich the learning experience for our students.
At Redlands, our strategic intent is to reduce our carbon footprint and manage our energy, water, waste, and biodiversity resources sustainably. We have a strategic commitment to sustainably managing the facilities and grounds of the School whilst continually engaging our students and the wider community in this endeavour.
Sustainability
Achievements
Sustainability achievements at Redlands include:
Carbon Emissions
- Engaging with Mamachi in 2024 to complete a Net Zero Pathway for Redlands
- Annual greenhouse gas assessments with Pangolin Associates
- Climate Zero online GHG collection, managing and reporting
- Flight offsets and EV car hire
- Embodied carbon completed for our Learning Hub and John Roberts Buildings
Energy
- Installation of a 61KW solar panel system on the Junior Campus – which has led to the reduction of 55.22 tonnes of CO2, which is the equivalent to planting 1494 trees, removing 10,887 cars from the road for one year or powering 6028 homes’ energy for one year.
- LED lights are installed on all 3 campuses, which has led to a reduction of 131.62 tonnes of CO2 annually, equating to 6 cars off the road per year or powering 23.9 homes for a year.
- Energy monitoring sensors on all 3 campuses, with additional light sensors installed.
Canteen
- Reusable canteen containers
- Reusable Redlands coffee cups
- Paper water bottles
- Single use plastics eliminated from canteen
- Green bins for food waste
- Mug library on the Senior Campus
- Discounts offered for reusable cup sales
- Paperless cloud-based food compliance system
Paper Waste
- All copy paper is either 100% recycling and/or carbon neutral certified
- Print jobs require ID cards
- Digital textbooks/student resources available
- All forms are online to reduce printing collateral
- Paper bins in all common areas, offices and staff rooms
Circular Economy
- E-waste collection
- Unwanted school resources and furniture is repurposed
- School uniform recycling with Textile Recyclers Australia
- Second hand school uniform sales
- Second hand book sales
Biodiversity
- Two honeybee hives on the Learning Hub rooftop
- Beekeeping club for Senior Campus students
- Junior School (Kindergarten to Year 2) pollinator beds
- Junior School vegetable gardens
- Senior Campus garden club
- Produce collected from school gardens is used by the school canteens
- Biodiversity stewardship opportunities at High Country Campus
Student Involvement
- Environment Captains in Years 2, 6 and 12
- Environment Clubs in all sections of the school
- Garden Club on the Senior Campus
It is a priority at Redlands to combine sustainability initiatives with curriculum integration across the school, from preschool up to Year 12
Sustainability
Working Group (SWG)
Members of the Sustainability Working Group are from across all key areas of the school and include teaching and operational staff, alongside the Year 6 and Year 12 Environment Captains.
The SWG meet twice a term to work on various sustainability initiatives and oversee sustainable change at Redlands. So far, the achievements of the SWG include:
- Reviewing the Redlands electricity monitoring system
- Developing a Sustainability Aspiration for Redlands
- Completing Waste Audits
- Linking the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to areas of sustainability at Redlands
- Introducing sustainable school gardens through a program with David Harrington (www.stoneandbones.com).
- Introducing compost worm bins across all campuses, which are used by the canteens and the students.
- Hosting Zero Emissions meeting for sustainable schools and presenting at North Sydney Council’s Sustainable Schools conference.
- Introducing Return & Earn bins and coffee cup recycling across the campuses.
- Introduce Sustainability lunchtime clubs and gardening clubs across the Junior and Senior campuses
- Student Environmental leaders speaking at the Building Better Education for Schools 2023.
- Attendance of students at the inaugural HICES Sustainability Fair in 2023
