Borden’s small school reaps big rewards from empties with Containers for Change

Borden Primary School might be tiny, but it has proved it is mighty, as it was announced as one of the top Containers for Change collectors in the State.

With just 29 students from 17 families, the school has collected more than 27,000 containers, earning $2700.

Students started collecting containers after the P&C association decided to use the program to fundraise for the school.

Borden PS Principal Shenae Meier said it had been a community-wide effort.

“This is a fantastic effort for such a tiny school because it shows how much support and care we have from our wider Borden community and the local businesses,” she said.

“They could all be collecting the containers for themselves but instead they are choosing to donate them to our school to help benefit our students and we are very grateful for this.

“We find in our small community everybody contributes a lot of their own time and effort to volunteer to the numerous local groups, sporting clubs and committees already, so it can be hard finding fundraising opportunities that will be worthwhile and also can get everybody involved without requiring a huge commitment to everyone’s time.”

The school will hold clean-up events to get students more involved and collect rubbish around town.

Ms Meier said they could not have done it without local businesses including the Borden Tavern, Bluff Knoll Café, Stirling Range Retreat, Lily Windmill, Amelup Service Station and Borden Pavilion, all collecting containers for the school.

Albany businessman Paul Lionetti set up collection points in Borden for the school, and drives out to Borden to collect them for the school regularly

“It’s been rewarding for the students because they’re learning how when everybody gets behind an incentive and works together the outcome can be fantastic,” Ms Meier said.

“As we live in such a pristine regional area and so close to Stirling Range National Park which attracts a lot of tourists, it’s important to us that we keep our natural environment clean from rubbish.

“Being a long way from any large towns or cities it can be difficult finding ways to ensure our recyclable items don’t end up just going in to the tip, so it’s fantastic to see that all the plastic bottles, cans and glass bottles in the area are now being recycled.”

The money will go towards educational programs and making sure students have modern learning resources and tools.

“We believe that children in the country shouldn’t be any less disadvantaged in terms of education than children in the city and the extra funding the containers for change is bringing in for our P&C is already helping to provide more opportunities for our students to give them the education they deserve,” she said.

“Although I’m pretty sure the students are all hoping that the extra money will go towards a pool on the oval instead.”