Students at St John Fisher College in Bracken Ridge have earned a place among the finalists in the 2026 WasteSMART Brisbane Awards, following years of school-based recycling projects, fundraising and environmental activities led by the college’s Enviro Club.
The student-run group is a finalist in the WasteSMART Schools Award category, recognising its efforts to reduce everyday waste while encouraging fellow students to take part in practical environmental projects.
Small Fundraisers, Lasting Changes
The club’s work began with efforts to improve recycling around the school, including raising money through plant propagation and student-run stalls to purchase classroom recycling bins. In 2023, St John Fisher College reported that the Enviro Club had purchased 37 paper recycling bins using profits from its plant stalls. Classes were also asked to nominate two students as Waste Warriors, responsible for emptying the bins fortnightly.
The initiative placed recycling facilities directly into classrooms while giving students responsibility for maintaining the collection system. The club later extended its efforts beyond paper recycling through a partnership with 7-Eleven’s coffee cup recycling program. According to the official WasteSMART finalist profile, the arrangement has helped divert thousands of single-use coffee cups from landfill.
Students also found another use for leftover coffee grounds, turning them into handmade body scrubs sold at school markets. The project combined recycling with practical experience in creating products from materials that would otherwise be discarded.
A Greener Corner of the School
The Enviro Club’s work has also included developing a garden featuring Indigenous native plants, with the plants purchased using money raised through student stalls. In an earlier school update, St John Fisher College described the garden as a project intended to regenerate part of the grounds while providing a cultural connection to the area’s history.
The students’ environmental involvement has extended beyond the campus, including participation in an EcoMarines Ambassador Training Day at Tangalooma. These projects have allowed club members to take an active role in planning, fundraising and carrying out initiatives that involve the wider school community.
Young Environmental Leaders Recognised
St John Fisher College joins Ashgrove State School and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Corinda among the finalists in this year’s WasteSMART Schools Award category. The WasteSMART Brisbane Awards recognise schools, businesses, community organisations and individuals involved in waste prevention, recycling and resource recovery.
The nomination brings recognition to projects developed by students using fundraising, cooperation and everyday materials already available around the campus. The winners will be announced at Brisbane City Hall on Friday, 20 November 2026, with the SJFC Enviro Club among the school groups awaiting the results.
Published 26-October-2026
