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Young Entrepreneurs Create Sustainability App

During the week, Erin, Imogen, and Isabella, are your typical Year 6 Heatley State Primary School students. But when the afternoon bell rings, these young girls are the co-founders and creators of a new and upcoming sustainability app aiming to prevent waste by educating young people on the 6R’s of recycling. 

Thanks to the support of the Australian School of Entrepreneurship and Queensland’s previous Leading Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Leanne Kemp, the girls are working to make their application a reality. Already they have raised $25,000 of investment along with an additional $25,000 of in-kind support. We sat down with the young entrepreneurs who share with us their innovative idea and why the 6R’s are the key to saving our planet. 

1.   What inspired you girls to create the 6R’s app?

Erin:In Grade 4 we were learning about the 6R’s of sustainability – Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair – and why they are important to help save the environment. 

Imogen: Our teacher was teaching us all about waste and the different things we can do to protect the planet, especially the Great Barrier Reef since we live so close to it. 

Isabella: The three of us really care about the environment so we got together at lunch one day to see what we could do to fix this problem. We came up with the idea of making an app to teach people about the 6R’s and their impact. 

Imogen: We then took our idea to our teacher and principal who helped us plan it. 

2.  Why is it important for people to learn about the 6R’s? 

Isabella:  The 6R’s help to remind people what they should do every day to save the planet. 

Erin: Unless you are taught about them at school, a lot of people don’t have the information they need to be able to help the planet. That is why we created the app, to help everyone, especially young people learn lots of information about the 6R’s. 

Imogen: If people have the information, they then know exactly what to do to help the planet. 

Isabella, Imogen and Erin.

3.  You were finalists in the Australian School of Entrepreneurship’s Minister’s Climate Challenge in 2019, where you flew to Brisbane to pitch your idea for the 6R’s app to a panel of judges. How did it feel to be able to share your idea with people from all across Australia and the world? 

Isabelle:We had to apply for the Minister’s Climate Challenge, and out of 5,000 applications from all over Australia, we were chosen in the top 5. We couldn’t believe it! 

Erin: We got to fly to Brisbane with our teacher for the weekend and participate in a three-day camp. We also got to go on ABC radio, meet the former vice president of the USA, which was super cool, and we got to share our idea for the app to a large audience. 

Imogen: On the last night there was a showcase evening where the Top 5 finalists got to pitch on stage to a panel for judges. Leanne Kemp was on the panel and at the end of our speech, she said she loved the idea and wanted to get her IT team to develop the app. She also gave us $25,000 investment to help create it. 

Isabelle: We were so excited!

Erin: Thanks to Leanne and The Australian School of Entrepreneurship, the app is now in the process of being created and will hopefully be released this year. 

4. What will be included in the app? 

Imogen: There will be lots of information and advice on each of the 6R’s that people can click on. We want people to be able to learn more about the 6R’s and share on the app the different things they are doing to recycle.

Erin: We are working to create a comment and photo section where people can share pictures and talk about what they are doing to be sustainable and reduce plastic waste. 

Isabelle: We are also filming some cool videos to put on the app as well, so there will be lots of information for people to learn about the 6R’s. 

5. What do you hope people will achieve from using the app? 

Isabelle: We want people to be able to learn more about the 6R’s and be inspired to make a change to the way they are treating the planet. 

Erin: We want to help recycle and reduce the production of plastic and be able to go home knowing we have left the planet cleaner than it was before. 

Imogen: We want young people to learn more about the 6R’s and start using them every single day to make the planet a cleaner and safer place for generations to come.

Isabelle: Our teacher once said to us, ‘be the change you want to see in the world’, so that is what we are doing!

BDMag

BDMag

Compiled by the BDmag editorial team
BDMag

BDMag

Compiled by the BDmag editorial team