Waste Education
Waste education for the community is a key outcome of the Shire's Waste Management Strategy. A Waste Education Strategy has been drafted based on current legislation and State Government educational programs, primarily the Waste Authority Be a GREAT Sort - Waste Sorted Program.
The Shire's Waste Education Strategy promotes waste reduction initiatives throughout the community including schools, local businesses and residents. For more information and links to some existing everyday recycling education resources, see Community Recycling Programs. The Shire also offers more specialised workshops and activities which can be tailored to your specific needs.
Community Workshops
The Shire, in conjunction with local experts will provide a number of waste reduction / sustainability related workshops and interactive activities for residents including but not limited to:
- composting / worm farming
- recycling / upcycling activities
- de-cluttering / reducing waste
- modern cloth nappies
- sustainable sewing classes
To see what's coming up check out the Events Calendar
The Shire has also partnered with Switch Your Thinking who facilitate a number of free sustainability / energy and waste reduction community workshops - check out their Switch Events for what is coming up in the Shire and surrounding areas.
SJ Plastic Free Living Program 2023
The Shire has received funding from Waste Sorted Community Education Grant enabling the roll out of a series of over 20 free community workshops and associated incentives from May to July 2023 these include but are not limited to:
- Home Composting Trials
- Make your own Beeswax Wraps
- Living Lightly tips on reducing waste with pets
- Intergenerational Upcycling School Holiday Activities
Check out the Events Calendar under SJ Plastic Free Living Program drop-down to book yourself a spot at these workshops (Ending August 2023).
The SJ Plastic Free Living Program is focused on Earth-cycling and Avoidance mechanisms in above campaign. For more information on how you can be a GREAT sort in your home and community check out WasteSorted
Key partners in the project are the SJ Community Resource Centre, SJ Farmer's Markets and SJ Food Farm Alliance. The Program culminates in a Plastic Free Forum Event alongside Mundijong Farmers Markets on July 1st 2023 which involved giveaways including hundreds of community made plastic-free re-useable bags, compost bins, modern cloth nappies, a number of free market stalls for local businesses selling plastic-free/waste reduction related products, info and interactive demonstrations, kids activities and presentations by the likes of plastic-free living advocate Lindsay Miles! 
The SJ Plastic Free Forum was a huge community effort with SJ Farmer's Market doing amazing event management and merging it with their already popular Saturday Farmer's Markets on the 1st Saturday in July, It had 100% positive feedback from attendees feedback forms. The following presentation acknowledges all involved in the SJ Plastic Free Program and the associated Plastic Free Forum Event - what an amazing community of Plastic Free Champions!
Schools and Early Learning Education
The Waste Education Officer is available to come out to your school or early learning centre and provide a waste reduction related educational activity (1 - 1.5hrs) which can be tailored to your age group or curriculum needs. The following activities are being currently available:
- Put it in the Bin - An interactive game / activity where students will sort (clean) bags of rubbish items and put them in the correct bins based on the current 2-bin system in homes. Then re-sort into composting option (in future FOGO bin) and wider community initiatives including RedCycle and Containers for Change Programs. Reducing Landfill and Contamination are key topics.
- Don't put it in the bin - Can be a stand alone activity or add on to the above activity and involves exploring the waste hierarchy and how to avoid throwing away rubbish by fixing things, using more sustainable / re-useable items and promoting the circular economy including promoting local op shops and the SJ Reuse Shop and Waste Transfer Station and Recycling Centre. The Three R's is the primary topic.
- Plant the Seed - In conjunction with the Library's Seed Swap Initiative, composting will be discussed and how you can reduce food waste in your home and turn it into a seed bed for your own veggies. Seed germination and seedling lifecycle will be discussed and students will re-use an egg carton to plant seeds which can be planted out into garden.
- No Sew T-Shirt-Tutu bags - A hands on activity to make an unwanted T-Shirt into a cool upcycled bag only using scissors! Lots of tying knots and tutu fabric can be added to make a tutu style bottom or other embellishments/painting can be added if time permits. Students will get a brief background on fashion waste reduction and the plastic bag ban.
- Trash To Treasure - Aimed at teenagers, but can be adapted for younger students, includes various upcycling craft activities using items from the SJ Reuse Shop. The importance of re-using / not buying new and the circular economy will be discussed. Activities (repurposing trash) include: candle making, trinket boxes, percussion instruments and jewellery making / repair.
- Sew Sustainable - A general community beginners sewing class that can be adapted for small groups of teens and involves repurposing fabric from quilt covers or old clothes into reusable bags, hair wraps, bunting and many other useful items.
The Shire has partnered with Keep Australia Beautiful (KABC) to assist with coordination of school litter collection events within the community including providing bags and tools - to register your event see Litter Collection Adopt-A-Spot
Through their Clean Schools program, the KABC also provides free professional learning sessions for primary and secondary schools wanting to learn how to stop littering behaviour at school including:
- Professional learning for teachers.
- Step-by-step guide to planning the program.
- USB of support materials and activities.
- Curriculum materials.
To register your interest see Clean Schools.
Useful Links / Online Resources
There is a vast amount of information available online which can take your organisation or households waste education journey to the next level - here are a some popular waste reduction / recycling programs and initiatives to guide you on a waste-wise path:
- Waste Authority WA - Too good to waste - Various educational programs to reduce littering and landfill including; Waste Sorted, FOGO and Hazardous Household Waste
- Recycle Right- Encouraging and assisting residents and businesses in Western Australia to recycle, reduce their waste and live more sustainably
- Little Green Steps -Partners and connects early learning education providers to a hub of practical resources to achieve a lifetime of sustainable living
- Keep Australia Beautiful Council - Campaigns on litter prevention including; adopt-a-spot, Clean Schools, Clean Marine
- Share Waste - Give your waste a second chance - neighbourhood networks for recycling food waste and other organics
- Planet Ark - Recycling Near You - Community recycling points, recycling tips and initiatives including National Recycling Week
- Story of Stuff- Films and pollution prevention programs that explore the lifelong journey of waste including plastics
Contact Us
If you have any queries related to waste education for your local business, school or home - contact the Shire's Waste Education Officer Polly Hammond on: