eNews Issue 22

One of the HKA’s top priorities is environmental sustainability. This commitment is evident in our building, which earned a BEAM+ Provisional Platinum rating, in our curriculum and in our co-curricular programming. The commitment is equally clear among you, our parent community and of course among our faculty, staff and students as well. 

This week we were presented with a challenge to our commitment to sustainability. The company that collects our plastic recyclables has informed us that, due to market conditions, they will no longer recycle our plastic. From what we can ascertain, we know that HKA is only one of many organisations impacted by this decision.

We have already begun to research alternatives and will keep you informed of our progress. But in the meantime, this is a good reason for all of us to redouble our efforts to limit our use of disposable plastic. This is especially important when preparing student lunches. If your child brings his/her lunch to school, please pack food in reusable containers and avoid single-use plastic items, such as apple sauce and yoghurt cups. At HKA, we strive for a waste-free lunch as much as possible.

I am happy to confirm that HKA ensures that all metal, paper, glass, batteries and other e-waste leaving our campus continues to be tracked and recycled appropriately. In addition, HKA repurposes food waste through two vermicompost systems, donations to the SK community center and a collaboration with Foodlink. But for now, we are without a plastic recycling option and ask for your help to keep our plastic disposal to a minimum. I know that environmentally friendly practice is a priority for us all and thank you for your help!