School waste programs
Council provides various school educational programs and activities in partnership with our regional waste group, North East Waste.
For more information, contact Council's Waste Education Officer via Council on (02) 6625 0500.
From time to time, activities for early childhood education centres and preschools are run by North East Waste on Council’s behalf.
Council and North East Waste through their mobile educational van can tailor a range of engaging activities for primary school-aged children:
- Make your own beeswax wraps - decorate a piece of cotton material with fabric pens, grate beeswax onto a baking tray, we place in oven and hand back cooled; participants receive a recipe card with instructions on how to make more wraps, how to clean and use
- Recycle relays – an active participatory relay race that teaches students how to correctly sort common recycling, organics and landfill items into the right bins
- Wipe Out Waste show - uses a performer to promote sustainable waste practices through interactive and fun information sessions
- Waste-wise talks - in classrooms or at assembly about how we can reduce our waste in the first place, understand their recycling and/or organics bins
- School or classroom waste audit that supports tangible actions to reduce waste
- Compost workshops - manage food waste and nourish school gardens by learning how to compost at your school
Secondary school visits primarily support a group, club or class of students who wish to support positive sustainable change in their school and reduce single use items. Visits can include:
- Presentations about resource recovery programs within Council
- Student Representative Council (SRC) support to make positive sustainable change through campaigns (such as Reduce Single Use and Recycle Right)
- School audit, usually undertaken with a class or group and waste reduction action plans
- Canteen audit and support