Our Waste Education Project has worked with schools across Devon since 2008, engaging more than 150,000 pupils since it began.
The project supports Devon County Council’s strategy to support schools and equip children with behaviour, skills and knowledge for a more sustainable future. The project aims to:
- Develop and deliver workshops, assemblies and resources about waste reduction, reuse and recycling
- Work intensively with schools to reduce their waste and enable them to recycle and compost more waste
- Spread the message to parents and carers beyond the school gates using take-home letters and activities, as well as community events
- Train and support teachers to deliver waste education messages
- Support schools to compost food waste on site and use composting as a teaching resource within the curriculum
- Facilitate school trips to waste management facilities
In the 2024-25 academic year our Waste Education team:
- Visited 72 schools, working with nearly 10,000 pupils and more than 900 adults;
- Delivered 207 in-school sessions (workshops, assemblies, eco-group meetings etc)
- 95% of pupils found the experience ‘very good’ or ‘good;, with 100% of teachers rating their class’s input as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’;
- 90% of pupils and 60% of teachers were more enthusiastic about reducing waste and recycling following engagement;
- Ran the ‘Watch our Waste’ (WOW) project, working with schools on integrated approaches to waste and reuse;
- 37% of schools saw an increase in waste being recycled, while 20% saw new or improved recycling facilities following engagement;
- Conducted teacher training in partnership with other organisations (including the National Trust, Let’s Go Zero, Climate Ambassadors, SUEZ UK, Field Studies Council and Devon Wildlife Trust) to educate teachers further about waste, climate action plans and school activities to raise awareness and help them become more sustainable;
- Supported the Network of Environmental Educators Devon (NEED), undertaking a project funded by Devon Climate Emergency to assist schools in Devon in writing and implementing Climate Action Plans in the move towards Net Zero.
The Devon waste education programme is funded by Devon County Council and is managed by Resource Futures staff.
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