School Waste Education Project

COOLmob received grant funding from both the NT Government as well as the City of Darwin Council to deliver a waste education project in up to 15 different class groups, across 10 schools in Darwin in 2019/2020. This Project was delivered in both primary and high schools in 2019 and term 1 2020. COOLmob recognises that schools, teachers and students are all key stakeholders in achieving positive community waste educational outcomes. Building waste education around reduction benefits our environment and increases knowledge and capacity for change within the community.

You can read the final report and finding of this program online.

We are still able and willing to run this program, but are seeking City of Darwin and NT Government funding.

Years 3 & 4 Program

Throughout this Program students will:

Conduct a waste audit of bins after lunch
Attend an excursion to NTRS Recycling Facility as well as Shoal Bay Waste Facility
Take home a booklet for families covering tips to decrease waste at home, as well as information on yellow bin recycling, soft plastics and e-waste recycling, low-waste shopping, how to conduct a waste audit at home and where to find more info!
Learn about the six R’s of waste through the waste hierarchy
Learn about the links between waste and climate pollution
Play a recycling game to understand which household objects are recyclable
Identify household items that are non-recyclable in the yellow bin but able to be recycled or repurposed elsewhere
Identify ways their families can change their behaviour at home
Use waste audit results to brainstorm ways the school can decrease waste

Years 7 & 8 Program

Throughout this Program students will:

Understand the relationship between waste and the climate, and learn to interpret the waste hierarchy
Identify household items that are non-recyclable in the yellow bin but able to be recycled or repurposed elsewhere
Conduct a waste audit, including understanding how to weigh and tabulate findings
Use these findings to critically analyse ways students could reduce lunchtime waste
Identify ways students and families can change their behaviour in the home to reduce waste
Attend and excursion to the NTRS Recycling Facility and Shoal Bay Waste Facility
Explore the idea of a circular economy
Critically analyse a local waste stream currently going to either Shoal Bay Waste Facility or NRTS Recycling Facility
Identify alternate options for reuse for this waste stream within a closed loop framework
Take home a booklet for families covering tips to decrease waste at home, as well as information on yellow bin recycling, soft plastics and e-waste recycling, low-waste shopping, how to conduct a waste audit at home and where to find more info.