Resources & Links
The following web-based resources have been collated for easy access by schools and the general public:
Government Policy Papers / Strategies / Reports
Curriculum and lessons plans
Waste Wise to Zero Waste
Waste facts from land to sea
Fact sheets, posters and stickers
Government Policy Papers / Strategies / Reports
QLD's Waste Management Policy and Regulation (2000)
State of Waste and Recycling in QLD (2006)
QESSI Alliance Strategic Plan (2005-2007)
QLD Waste Strategy (Discussion paper 2007)
Sunshine Coast Waste Reduction Strategy Discussion Paper (2009)
National Waste Policy: Less waste, more resources (Nov 2009)
Curriculum & Lessons Plans
Queensland Studies Authority's SOSE (Studies of Society and Environment) page has essential learnings and sample workplans e.g. the unit Green Citizenship (PDF107 kb) for Years 8-9; directly relevant to the environment, and in particular to waste and sustainability. SOSE Sourcebook 2000 also includes relevant modules such as:
Level 1: Lean, green cleaning machine: Caring for the environment (PDF 105 kb) provides specific Core Learning Outcomes and activities such as Reuse, Recycle and Planting Garbage. Level 2: Eco-consumerism: Conserving the environment(PDF 242 kb) focusses on water. Level 3: Everyone can have a say: Local decision making (PDF 163 kb) provides opportunities for action research, field studies and the implementation of environmental projects.
Queensland Studies Authority's Science page has essential learnings directly relevant to the environment, and in particular how scientific knowledge can help to make our environments sustainable. e.g. Unit Looking after the environment (PDF 182 kb) suggested in the sample workplan for Years 8-9.
Clean Up Australia's Schools Climate Kit includes lots of well thought-out educational resources. Of direct relevance to waste include lesson plans on Resourceful Rubbish, Litter Bug, Put Rubbish Away For Good and Clean Up Australia Day.
Education Queensland lists resources on Environmental Education for Sustainability applicable to schools, including ‘significant’ documents, organizations, initiatives and activities.
NICA has a slide show on Caring for the Oceans (54 slides, PDF 4MB) designed for junior primary. An animated powerpoint version is available from NICA.
NICA's presentation: Towards Sustainability - Waste Wise Schools (25 slides, PDF 5.7MB), as delivered to USC student teachers on 20th April 2010. The Pacific Trash Vortex animation is available on Greenpeace website here.
NICA's presentation: Towards Sustainability - Minimize Waste (51 slides, PDF 4 MB), as delivered to Sunshine Beach State High School (June 09), fits well in year 8's Science, English and SOSE curriculum. An animated powerpoint version is available from NICA.
NICA's Minimising Waste
talk (53 slides, PDF 4.6MB), as delivered to Noosa District State High
School (Nov 08), fits well in year 9's Geography curriculum. An animated powerpoint version is available from NICA.
Sustainability Victoria has very detailed Resource Smart Curriculum (PDF 2.9 MB) spanning a wide range of learning areas with practical projects, notably on waste minimisation.
Education Victoria has curriculum materials (in 6 levels) specific to Rubbish Free Lunches.
Zero Waste South Australia’s“Wipe Out Waste” (WOW) Program provides detailed Suggested Learning Activities for early, middle & senior primary years, as well as key words, case studies and other resources.
Planet Ark has a range of lesson plans on packaging, recycling and waste minimization, suitable for middle to upper primary years. It also has a range of kids resources such as activities & colouring sheets.
Ribbons of Blue / Waterwatch WA has a range of education resources related to stormwater and rier health.
EPA NSW has practical Stormwater Teaching Guide with interactive activities designed for science, technology, HSIE (SOSE) and Geography curriculum.
Bobbie Bigfoot by Earthdaynetwork and Redefining Progress gives practical lesson plans on ecological footprint, with curriculum linkages to science, social studies, geography, maths, languages and even macro-economics. "Waste Walk" is of particular relevance to the Waste-Wise program.
LessonPlansPage.com has a lesson plan titled "Aquatic Wildlife and Pollution" suitable for grades 1-3 Science and SOSE.
MESA - Marine Education Society of Australasia has a number of innovative teaching ideas. E.g. Exploring Sawfish - Ideas for Science and Technology, suitable for levels 1-5 and 5-10, involves students designing their own trash trap, turtle-friendly fishing net, underwater viewing device and water cleanser. Other Ideas for Arts involves students designing a theatrical performance that highlights the plight of a threatened marine species.
Redefining Progress has a range of lesson plans such as "Food and You" (prep-early primary), "The Trash We Pass" (PDF 198 kb for middle primary) and "Sustainable Dining"(early high school) with particular relevance to waste, consumerism and ecological footprints.
Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society has a Schools Marine Debris Kit useful for schools wanting to initiate marine debris education, surveys and clean up projects.
Algalita Marine Research Foundation has various educational materials including DVDs on plastic wastes.
Aluminium Cans Group has a range of "School Stuff" providing activities and lessons linked to the curriculum (SOSE, maths science, technology, art), including how to set up an Al cans recycling program.
Visy Recycling runs an Environmental Detective Program annually. By completing specific lesson plans and class activities (from Prep to year 12), schools, students and teachers may win various prizes.
Waste Wise to Zero Waste
NICA's slide show Minimizing Waste in Schools (total 42 slides, PDF 4.46 MB), as delivered to St. Teresa Catholic College's World Changing Centre on 15 Aug 08.
NICA's slide show Minimizing Waste in Schools Part 2: Be a Waste Wise Schools (1.4 MB) presents the many systematic ways which schools may undertake to become waste wise.
NevrWaste Victoria provides an easy waste assessment form for schools.
Sustainability Victoria's Resource Smart program provides teaching and learning resources, notably the guide "How to reduce, reuse and recycle waste in schools?" It also gives step-by-step advice on WasteWise Events. Its School Operation (PDF 1.5 MB) provide a practical guide to school-wide waste minimisation through a five-stage process (3Rs, greenwaste / composting / wormeries, litter / stormwater, green purchasing, and waste disposal), and include many case studies.
Clean Up Australia's Triple Bin Challenge provides detailed manual, worksheets and practical activities for reporting for schools wanting to participate in the challenge. The three bin system allows clear segregation of wastes into paper, tins and plastics, and general rubbish, to reduce contamination and maximize recycling efficiency.
Butt Littering Trust has numerous materials about cigarette butt litter and even a Butt Free Tool Box that guides you through the planning and implementation of butt litter reduction projects.
Zero Waste SA gives detailed guidelines to the planning and organization of Zero Waste Events which can apply to various school functions such as school fairs. Case studies are also provided.
Eco-cycle has an alarming video on waste and its driving forces, with interesting economic and health perspectives, and explains the Zero Waste System.
AIUS provides a series of environmental indicators and case studies, notably on litter and waste, focussing on Melbourne or Victoria, some may be adaptable to schools.
Planet Ark's Recycling Near You gives detailed and practical informaiton on what can be put in the kerbside recycling bin and collection points in specific areas for particular goods (e.g. batteries, printer cartridges, plastic bags and electronics).
Recycling Near You also has fun fact sheets (e.g. 25 Things you can reuse at home; Top recycling myths busted...), reports and links to educational resources.
Reusablebags.com has detailed information about plastic bags and other products, including potential health risks and environmental problems, and provides links to alternative products. It also has tips for waste-free lunches.
Global Stewards gives practical "eco tips" for individuals, including waste reduction by "simiplifying your life", bulk purchases, waste-free lunches, "frugal printing", community swap, etc...
The Education for Sustainability Portal explains how whole-school approach might work.
New American Dream's Green Your School has interesting calculators for working out the energy and resources that can be saved through responsible purchasing; e.g. safer cleaning products, energy efficient appliances, plastic bottle alternatives, and recycled paper.
Waste Facts from Land to Sea
NICA's slide show Minimizing Waste in SchoolsPart 1: Waste - What's the Problem? (2 MB) illustrates in detail the wide range of environmental, health and economic problems of wastes (e.g. harmful marine debris, climate change, e-waste...).
NICA has a slide show on Caring for our Oceans (54 slides, PDF 4MB), suitable for junior primary. It includes a section on marine debris and plastic wastes in the ocean. An animated powerpoint version is available from NICA.
The Sunshine Coast Regional Council website provides information about local Waste Management Program, including services through kerbside refuse and recyclables collection, transfer stations and landfills.
Keep Australia Beautiful has interesting litter research consisting of the National litter index, Branded litter research and Neighbourhood litter count, producing unique facts and data.
"Plastic bag use 30% higher than retailers say" Ben Cubby Environment, 4 Nov 2009, in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Cleanaway's search engine on waste covers the history of waste in Australia, the 3 Rs and detailed information about different materials and if / how they can be recycled.
There's a Future in Plastics by Conservation International's Sea Turtle Flagship Program volunteer has interesting statistics on plastic waste, especially in the ocean.
Plastic Debris Rivers to Sea provides alarming statistics on the amount of plastic debris in the ocean, and includes a categorized bibliography (e.g. on industrial plastics and impacts on wildlife...).
The Bird Observer magazine (April 09) has an informative article on the problems of plastics and specifically the impact of balloons on birds.
The Guardian's story Buried in a plastic coffin? takes a good look at the plastic waste problem at the global scale and exposes the difficulties in recycling.
Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts has a Harmful Marine Debris information page.
The chapter titled "Polymers are forever" in Alan Weisman's The World Without Us gives detailed information about the global problem of plastic wastes especially in the ocean.
Floating rubbish dump bigger than the US (the Great Pacific Garbage Patch) reveals the enormity of our global plastic waste problem, and the ecological impacts as microplastic attracts pollutants and ends up in the food chain.
Algalita Marine Foundation shows a well explained video titled Synthetic Sea, on the cause, extent and impact of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch on the ecosystems.
Greenpeace has a good visual animation showing how the Pacific Trash Vortices form and how plastic wastes are spread by the vortices.
NOAA has a resource-rich webpage dedicated to marine debris.
For a more local (Queensland) perspective about plastic wastes, check out the story Beyond guilt's horizons a plastic invasion fleet gathers. For impacts of discarded fishing lines and tackle and what can be done to reduce the impacts, read Nice catch! Pity about the 'incidental' destruction.
Want to know more about cigarette butts, go to buttsout.
Planet Ark has a powerful search engine on various international environmental news, and information about their waste related programs.
Fact Sheets, Posters & Stickers
Queensland EPA has made available sticker and poster templates for:
Milk & juice cartons recycling
Litter Critters (postcard / sticker)
Litter Critters (colouring sheet)
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Zero Waste SA provides bin signage / sticker designs for drink containers and biodegradables, suitably especially for Zero Waste Events.
Queensland EPA has a series of fact sheets on litter, litter impacts and the new Queensland Litter Laws.
Queensland EPA's recently launched Public Place Recycling campaign also has a catalogue of promotion and signage materials available upon request.
WA Towards Zero Waste has a series of well presented fact sheets about different materials (e.g. Aluminium cans, glass bottles, etc.), what they are made of, the energy required to make new or recycle them, etc. The sheets also include interesting statistics and tips about how to reduce, reuse and recycle them.
Cleanaway has a series of informative fact sheets on waste avoidance, recycling, composting, worm farming and litter.
NSW Dept of Environment & Conservation has fun and informative posters on composting, worm-farming and mulching.
Various fact sheets & posters are also available at the local Council website, on waste minimization, organic waste, kerbside recycling and litter.
Waterwatch QLD provides a range of posters about catchments and activities affecting catchment health.
NOAA marine debris website provides numerous posters and activity sheets.
