Waste Watchers
Waste Watchers is the State's leading environmental education program for primary schools and 2009 was a record breaking year!
Since 1994, Waste Watchers workshops have been empowering students with the knowledge and skills to educate and influence their families and encouraging them to implement best practice in both their home and school environments.
Our 2009 Waste Watchers program exceeded all prior participation records. Our specialist Environmental Educators taught 46, 526 students on issues encompassing organics, waste, water conservation, catchment management and sustainability issues. The program expanded into new geographic areas with a record-breaking 419 schools being visited within 46 council areas across NSW. An additional educator was employed in 2009 to satisfy increased demand.
Waste Watchers is a fee-for-service program, and almost all host organisations were local councils in 2009. Keep Australia Beautiful NSW has strong links with councils, and Waste Watchers has a significant and successful history of educating communities about local services and issues. We liaise with all stakeholders to ensure that the programs we deliver remain relevant and of importance to the ever changing needs of our communities.
The Keep Australia Beautiful Waste Watchers program not only satisfies the requirements of four different Key Learning Areas for NSW schools as outlined by the New South Wales Board of Studies, but also caters for the needs of Council and other key stakeholders.
Download your:
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Waste Watchers brochure here. -
Council booking form here. -
Waste Watchers terms and conditions here. -
Waste Watchers links to the NSW syllabus here. -
Invitation to a low-waste lunch here.
Benefits to Councils:
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A comprehensive primary school waste education service.
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Tailored workshops to address local isses and focus points that Council request.
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Promotion of Council's waste services.
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Provision of valuable and constructive feedback.
Benefits to Primary Schools:
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Promotion and extension of positive environmental practices
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Support of Board of Studies prescribed curriculum including HSIE, Science and Technology, PDHPE and the DET Environmental Education Policy.
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Age-appropriate, interactive, hands-on, stimulating and fun activities for students.
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Provision of resource material including CDs, worksheets, brochures, posters, certificates and newsletters.
Benefits to the Community:
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A greater awareness of waste issues.
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An appreciation of the need for appropriate waste management and disposal.
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Clarification of local waste collection details.
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Local issues and focus points highlighted.
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Influence extending to the broader community, as participants are encouraged to teach others the new infomation that the have learnt.
Waste Watchers offers Councils the choice of five different modules:
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Wide World of Waste
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Catchment Chronicles
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Mechanics of Organics
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Water Welfare
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Sustainability Sleuths
Wide World of Waste
Participants analyse potential waste items and consider how to reduce/avoid creating waste. Issues such as correct bin usage, sorting waste, landfill, recycling and composting are explored. The program is engaging for all students. It provides a fun way to reinforce and extend existing knowledge and foster behaviour change in the important area of waste disposal. Various types of plastic are inspected and their recyclability is determined. The reprocessing of all recyclables into new products is investigated.
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Catchment Chronicles
This clearly demonstrates negative affects of inappropriate behaviours in a catchment. It is interactive and informative. Students role-play the harmful activities carried out by characters in a catchment story. Observing this cumulative affect, it is readily seen that even small, seemingly insignificant actions at home can have a major impact on water quality and biodiversity. Participants are challenged to adopt environmentally friendly practices to protect our fragile waterways. Students also discover the differences between sewage and stormwater.
Mechanics of Organics
Students investigate the differences between composting, worm farming and mulching, and the benefits they provide. Action based activities mean that participants learn while they are having fun. Sessions cover problems that occur if organic waste recycling is not conducted and the valuable resources that are produced if it is. Participants view a working worm farm which consolidates these concepts. The life size 3D cut-away models of a compost and worm farm are valuable components which allow students to study these systems further.
Water Welfare
Activities conducted help students understand the natural processes of the water cycle, how we use and allocate water, and the need to use it wisely. The importance of caring for and conserving our water is highlighted. Water is a universal need and sharing strategies are investigated. Students have fun examining and assessing appropriate strategies and behaviours. The module provides a thought provoking challenge as students investigate just how precious and limited our water is.
Sustainability Sleuths
Students will discover the limited resources available on Earth and ways that they can help look after them. Renewable and non-renewable resources are explored before students consider the impact of their actions on the environment. A fun ‘footprint’ game and role plays allow participants to identify simple changes they can make at home and school to be more sustainable.
Thank you to our valuable program partners
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