At Rangi Ruru, we believe a sustainable school is a great place to learn, where students develop a social conscience, self-esteem and reach high standards of achievement.
In operating this way, Rangi Ruru demonstrates responsible practices for our young people, staff and wider community through actively engaging them in learning and positive action. Rangi Ruru is proud to be an Enviroschool, a Fairtrade School, a KNZB Sustainable Schools Award finalist, a finalist in the New Zealand Sustainable Business Network Awards and co-winners of the Aoraki Conservation Award. Individual students have also been awarded a wide range of sustainability awards and our students mentor other schools on how to lead sustainable change.
Onsite we have an Eco-Action Nursery, run by students, cultivating thousands of native trees and plants to form a corridor through the Christchurch Ōtautahi red zone. This collaborative regeneration initiative with other schools, CCC and businesses, provides carbon sequestration, food and habitat for native birds. Students are taught environmentalism and ecological principles.
Our students support others in our community. Vegetables are grown onsite and given to our local Women’s Refuge Centre for use in safe houses. Clothes, shoes, toiletries, toys and books are collected in our Reuse Depot and donated.
In the past three years, the Rangi Ruru Reuse Depot has collected and redistributed over one hundred thousand reusable items, ranging from cell phones to egg cartons. In doing this we have disrupted the take-make-waste model, reduced waste to landfill by 58% and donated money raised to Cool Earth, thus protecting an area of rainforest and communities living in them.
In 2018-2019 our cumulative annual emissions were 567.99 tCO2e. The 2019-2020 business year saw this drop to 338.41 tCO2e and by the end of 2022 it had dropped further to 303.10 tCO2e. We continue to focus on reducing our carbon footprint and increasing offsetting to meet our carbon neutral goals.
We pride ourselves in being a water only school with onsite production of fresh, nutritious meals, thus significantly reducing waste and providing healthy food and drink. Compostable and Fairtrade products are used where available in our dining room. We use free range eggs and have adopted ‘Meatless Mondays’ in the dining room.
We were honoured to have Jane Goodall and her New Zealand Foundation spend time at Rangi Ruru in 2019. We hosted a Youth Environmental Leaders forum with representatives from across New Zealand at school and have held a number of Canterbury Sustainability hui onsite.
Students in both the junior and senior school lead initiatives foster relationships with tertiary institutions, NGO’s and businesses to find solutions to sustainable challenges. Our Environment Club and Sustainability Council provide opportunities for students and staff to be involved in taking action and showing a strong sense of care for our planet.
Manaaki whenua. Manaaki tangata. Haere whakamua.
Care for the land. Care for the people. Go forward.
Our Sustainability Philosophy
The Sustainability Project has been established to manage the phased implementation of initiatives developed by a team of staff and students.
A sustainable school prepares young people for a lifetime of sustainable living, through its teaching, values and its day to day practices. It is guided by a commitment to care for:
- Oneself (our health and wellbeing)
- Each other (across cultures, distances and generations)
- The environment (both locally and globally)
We acknowledge and honour the status of tangata whenua and the value of indigenous knowledge in enriching and guiding learning for sustainability. We foster the traditional Māori perspective of our interconnectedness with nature. Care instils responsibility, and as a school we accept the responsibility to develop environmental, social and cultural sustainability within our community by respecting other people, cultures and the natural world.
Food and Drink We supply healthy, local and sustainable food and drink. Showing strong commitments to the environment, social responsibility and animal welfare, as well as maximising our use of local suppliers and onsite production.
Energy and Water We endeavour to design for and operate with energy efficiency, using renewable energies and energy conservation strategies. Working to minimise water usage and water conservation techniques, we use sustainable landscape design and planting methods.
Travel and Traffic We encourage sustainable travel and provide facilities for healthier, less polluting or less dangerous modes of transport. We promote carpooling networks within the school community.
Purchasing and Waste We promote sustainable procurement and procedures, using goods and services of high environmental and ethical standards from local sources where practicable. Increasing value for money by reducing, reusing, repairing, recycling and composting as much as possible.
Wellbeing We encourage an interactive process of becoming aware of and practicing healthy choices to create a more successful and sustainable lifestyle. Promoting awareness of multiple aspects of wellbeing including emotional, physical, social, environmental, occupational, spiritual and intellectual.
Buildings and Grounds Rangi Ruru grounds bring students closer to the natural world, capture their imaginations through the outdoors, and help them learn about sustainable living, environmentally friendly practices and biodiversity. Our buildings are designed in ways that visibly demonstrate sustainable development and innovation.
Inclusion and Participation We ensure social inclusion to enable all members of the school community to participate fully in school life while instilling a long lasting respect for human rights, freedoms, cultures and creative expression.
Local Connections We create sustainable partnerships with the local community, engaging collaboratively with people and organisations to improve the environment and quality of life in the community.
Global Dimensions We endeavor to practice global citizenship, enriching our educational mission with activities and partnerships that improve the lives of people living in other parts of the world.
Be the Change
Hear what inspires Rangi Ruru students Annabelle and Saskia, and alumna Kendal Flutey to make a difference.