Waste education

Learning to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Why the 3Rs?

Learning about ‘rubbish’ is a great way to engage even the youngest pupils with environmental issues. Reducing waste prevents landfill sites filling up, preserves biodiversity and conserves valuable natural resources. It also saves energy, a vital part of tackling climate change. Having learned about these issues each child can take immediate action both at home and school, providing an empowering sense that each individual can make a difference.  

The 3Rs form a central part of the ‘purchasing and waste’ doorway within the National Framework for Sustainable Schools. For schools working for an Eco-Schools award, work on the 3Rs will be essential, and there are close links with the Healthy Schools Programme.

Every Child Matters identifies ‘making a positive contribution’ as a key outcome in every child’s development. By working together to recycle and reduce waste, pupils learn to care for the local and global environments, as well as that of their school.

What we offer schools

Our team of experienced Waste Education Officers have been running dedicated waste education projects since 1998. They offer schools assemblies and workshops to raise pupils’ awareness of the 3Rs, as well as practical advice on setting up / revitalising school recycling systems. Our workshops have strong cross-curricular links with science, maths, literacy, geography and PSHE. They will complement your school’s schemes of work, and tie in well with themed weeks such as Science, Environment or Recycling.

To encourage pupils to share their learning with parents and take action at home, workshops can be supported by a range of information sheets and stickers.  These reinforce both 3Rs and curriculum learning, meeting teachers' needs as well as engaging the whole family with waste issues.

In some areas our services are subidised by the local authority and may even be free; see our project area pages for more information or e-mail the Education Manager.