Waste education

Saving resources, reducing waste going to landfill and living sustainably are responsible changes we all need to make for a safer and healthier future.

Information on what can go into recycling bins has never been more important with the responsibility for Australia and countries around the world to manage waste and reprocess recyclable materials locally.

Food and garden waste is too valuable to put into the general waste bin and eventually into landfill. Watch how easily you can recover your household organic material and create mulch, compost and liquid fertilisers for growing healthy gardens and home-grown fruit and vegetables.

For more information:

Get involved

How rubbish are you at recycling? Take our quiz to find out! 

Find out about our Sustainability Champions award.

Education videos

Short videos are available for home, school, early learning centres and community organisations to use.

Education programs and tours

Is your school or early learning centre on a journey to become more sustainable?

Council’s waste education program for schools and early learning centres in the Moreton Bay Region is aligned to the national education curriculum. 

Schools

Council's free waste minimisation program is available to schools in our region and offers training, support and donated infrastructure to build a sustainable waste management system onsite. The environmental, social, cultural and economic benefits for the school, teachers, students and wider school community will preserve natural resources and build capacity towards a more sustainable future. 

2021 case study

Mount Samson State School have embraced Council’s School Waste Minimisation Program (SWMP) and developed key waste reduction and diversion programs. These programs are led and actioned by their passionate students.

Council’s SWMP is available for all schools in the Moreton Bay Region with strategic support, audit and waste management training, donated resources and reportable information on the success of your waste management program.

View a short video on the success of Mount Samson State School staff and students.

2020 case study

Southern Cross Catholic College Scarborough Primary joined the School Waste Minimisation Program (SWMP) in early 2019 and are now diverting 21% of their school waste to be recycled.

To decrease the waste being disposed into landfill through General waste bins, Scarborough Primary Campus has implemented a paper and cardboard recycling collection program, composting and worm farming food scraps and garden organic materials onsite and the collection of Containers for Change. The Year 4 EcoMarines are the drivers of the program and provide continual encouragement to help their school reduce waste to landfill. The school engaged Council’s SWMP to provide free education and training and donated infrastructure to assist the school in setting up and maintaining the recycling collection programs.

For more information on the School Waste Minimisation Program, view the Flyer and Information booklet and join today.

Early Learning Centres

Early learning centres, day care and outside school hours care providers are eligible for support through training workshops. Five free evening workshops provide educators access to develop skills, experience and resources including how to implement and embed a best practice waste and recycling system onsite, reducing the costly general waste, and easy composting programs for food and garden waste.

Council provides more support and an annual award presentation for Centres who have regularly attended the workshops and have achieved significant improvement in managing their Centres waste and engaging their staff, children and wider community in their waste reduction journey.

Congratulations to the five Early Learning Centres who were awarded in June 2023 for outstanding waste reduction and reuse/recycling programs:

  • Goodstart, Murrumba Downs 
  • Kidscape Early Learning, Caboolture
  • Goodstart North Lakes, College Street
  • Goodstart, Narangba 
  • Moreton Downs Early Education, Deception Bay.

Eligibility for the intake of the 2024 Waste Minimisation Program will be finalised from the Early Learning Centre training workshops waiting list.

View a video showcasing an early learning centre local champion in collaboration with Council’s Waste minimisation and education program.
View video transcript.

For other environmental education programs and excursion opportunities, visit Council's environment centres school program.

Contact Council for more information.

Community group waste education

Community organisations are passionate about our local environment and their part to play in the solution. Council’s free waste education program provides onsite presentations and tours of an operating local waste and recycling facility for community organisations.

For more information contact Council.