WOODBRIDGE Primary School is set to welcome thousands of new wriggly residents after being named a successful recipient of the latest round of the Cook government’s WasteSorted school grants program.

The school is among 55 Western Australian institutions sharing more than $150,000 to fund innovative projects aimed at reducing landfill and protecting the state’s biodiversity.

The funding boost will allow Woodbridge to expand its existing sustainability program by installing a high-capacity worm farm system constructed from a recycled fridge.

Woodbridge Primary’s kitchen garden coordinator Jean Muthukumaraswamy said the funding is a much-needed addition to the school’s current system.

“We found that we are filling our compost cones fast, so we are keen to distribute some of this waste to a worm farm,” she said.

“For the first time, we can start recycling our school canteen’s fruit and vegetable scraps by using them in our new worm farm, which will be fantastic.”

The new system will provide a critical solution for the school’s organic waste, which has steadily increased since the school introduced specialised green collection bins in every classroom back in 2024.

To manage the influx of waste, the school has developed a student leadership model through its Waste Wise Warrior program.

“After our staff attended WasteSorted PD sessions, we established a sustainability committee and conducted a waste audit with students to highlight how much food waste we were producing,” Ms Muthukumaraswamy said.

“We have different roles including waste management mentors, waste data wizards, and the waste compost crew.

“Once the new worm farm is ready, we will introduce a  group of responsible students to participate, who will be named the Worm Squad and will be responsible for its management for the rest of the year.

“They’ll be very excited to take on another challenge.”

State environment minister Matthew Swinbourn highlighted the importance of the school-led initiatives in developing lifelong environmental habits.

“I commend our local schools for driving positive change across Western Australia through innovative education programs,” he said.

“Waste management is a shared responsibility, and small changes in everyday behaviour can lead to big reductions in landfill and improvements in our resource recovery.”