P&C and School Information

Here's a checklist that may help communicate with your P&C or School about creating a sustainable uniform shop.

AN EVERYDAY CHANGE  CHECKLIST

Every day, seemingly small changes make a difference in addressing climate change at the individual, team or organisation level. It’s inspiring how many parents, P&C’s, uniform shop managers, school business managers, suppliers, manufacturers, designers (the list goes on…) want to help.

 This is just some ideas  we’d love examples of how your School brings sustainability to life.

 

Let’s do this!

 Most ideas for this Checklist come from everyday places like schools, P&Cs and schools communities. We hope this helps,. It has been created as a result of working with great everyday change contributors like yourself!

 1. Ask your uniform supplier if they are using recycled polyester in your uniforms. If not why not.

 Some will say:

“we are looking into it” 

“it costs 30% more”

“can’t change just for you”

 Well keep pushing.

Here’s some information from the 2025 Global Textile Exchange commitment to recycled polyester: https://textileexchange.org/2025-recycled-polyester-challenge/

 An assignment done at Macquarie University showed that in the example of a student polo changing to recycled polyester cost $1 more per meter of fabric and that parents thought that was affordable.

 2. Work with your supplier to reduce soft plastic packaging or collect the packaging for collection by a School Plastics collection program near you. It can be turned into new things.

 3. Check supplier supply chain certifications.

 Certifications can be confusing. Here is a list of what to look out for and some links.

Modern Slavery legislation is critical to support people making your uniforms.

Find out more here: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018A00153

School Resources here: https://beslaveryfree.com/schools

 (These sites are just suggestions and not connected with SSW)

 4. Form a School Sustainability Committee as part of the P&C.

 5. Add a Sustainability Report to your P&C Agenda as a reporting item.

 6. Create a small Sustainability Champion Group in the School Community. If people don’t have time try the other Schools in your area.

 7. Define what your P&C interprets as being related to sustainability. There is often confusion about what sustainability means. Some cast the net wide other keep it very defined. Define what is important to that School community.

 8. If possible link your P&C activities to the curriculum that the students are learning about. In Primary School the curriculum looks at The Material World. There are some great links there.

 9. Get your local Council involved and checkout he Grants available from your Council or other government bodies.

 

  1. Keep pushing it’s worth it.

 

We’d love any contributions to this list that may be helpful to others. Email admin@sustainableschoolwear.com