Council presently offers a wide range of waste-related community engagement programs that are delivered on a scheduled outreach basis by Council’s environmental education partner, EnviroCom Australia®. EnviroCom has almost 25 years’ experience in the design and delivery of environmental behaviour change programs in regional and metropolitan areas, with a longstanding office located in Sydney and a regional office in operation in Orange since 2016.
For more information about any of the programs described below, contact EnviroCom:
Ph: 02 6360 5500
E: singletonwasteprograms@envirocom.com.au
Primary School (PS) education programs
Student-focused program: PS Waste Avoidance Education Program
The children of today will become the leaders and change-makers of tomorrow. Environmental education programs have been identified as an opportunity to develop student knowledge and understanding regarding the important role of recycling and waste minimisation within the creation of a sustainable future.
Children are also known to provide an important conduit to educating the broader community through sharing of information and commitments with their families and other peers, and so it is anticipated that the educational benefits will extend far beyond the classroom.
Council’s PS Waste Avoidance Education Program addresses the impact of waste generation and disposal on the environment and explains practical methods to minimise waste through a number of ways. The fun and interactive sessions aim to inspire and promote the sustainable use and disposal of earth’s precious resources and empower the young change makers of tomorrow.
The program aligns with the Australian Curriculum in the key learning areas of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mathematics, Science and Technology and in the cross-curriculum area of Sustainability. There are direct links to the curriculum for Years 3-6, but the program is relevant and specifically targeted for all primary year levels (K-6).
The program is available to years K-6 and covers a range of important waste topics. The sessions run from 40-60 minutes, depending on the stage and topic. Topics on offer include:
- Where Does the Garbage Go?
- Caught on Composting
- It’s a Wormy World
- Litter, Litter Everywhere!
- Food for Thought
- The Science of Sorting
- The Wrap on Wrapping
- Turn off the Waste Tap!
- Reinvent and Reuse!
For more information on presentation content, click here (link to PDF) to view the promotional flyer and Expression of Interest form.
Teacher-focused program: Professional Development
The provision of face-to-face primary school professional development (PD) workshops are designed to provide opportunities for principals, teachers, and support staff to consider ways to improve waste management practices and identify opportunities for waste avoidance, reuse and landfill diversion within their school. This program effectively value adds to the PS Waste Avoidance Education Program.
These workshops will be delivered in conjunction with scheduled education outreach weeks from 4:00pm – 5:00pm on a weekday. They will be focused on the NSW Government’s Environmental Education Policy for schools and how sustainable waste management and developing a School Waste Management Plan (SWMP) links with the School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP).
Early Learning Centre (ELC) education programs
Child-focused program: ELC Waste Avoidance Education Program
Using age-appropriate language, presentation techniques and resources, the ELC Waste Education Program introduces young children to the importance of sustainable waste minimisation and waste management practices. Knowledge received is often built upon by centre staff through ongoing discussions and involvement with waste and recycling activities throughout the year, and potentially through the PS Waste Avoidance Education Program in later years.
Waste education programs for the early years directly align with Learning Outcomes in the Early Years Learning Framework and assist Centres to meet or exceed quality area requirements as outlined in the National Quality Standard (NQS).
The program is targeted at preschool-aged children 4-5 years old and sessions run for 30 minutes. Due to the interactive nature of these sessions, it is recommended that group sizes do not exceed 20 children. Topics on offer include:
- Where Does the Garbage Go?
- Caught on Composting
- It’s a Wormy World
- Litter, Litter Everywhere!
For more information on presentation content, click here(link PDF) to view the promotional flyer and Expression of Interest form.
Teacher-focused program: Professional Development
The provision of face-to-face ELC teacher professional development (PD) workshops are designed to provide opportunities for ELC directors, educators and support staff to consider ways to improve waste management practices and identify opportunities for waste avoidance, reuse and landfill diversion within their centres. This program effectively value adds to the ELC Waste Avoidance Education Program.
These workshops will be delivered on a weekday in conjunction with scheduled education outreach weeks from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. They will be focused on the topic of sustainable waste management, including how to set-up, troubleshoot and maintain composts and worm farms. A worm farm made from polystyrene waste materials will form the basis of a hands-on activity and be awarded as a lucky door prize to an attendee.
Each participating ELC will also receive a copy of EnviroCom’s Early Learning Resource for Waste and Litter Reduction kit. This resource will assist centres to meet or exceed the National Quality Standard sustainability accreditation requirements, as well as support educators to deliver year-round waste reduction and sustainability education within their centres.
Community workshops
Waste-related workshops delivered to the Singleton community provide an opportunity for local residents to develop new (or build on existing), positive habits around reducing waste, to promote a more sustainable way of living. The workshops will be catered with light refreshments and delivered after weekday business hours or on a Saturday morning. Two workshops will be offered this year and delivered as part of the education outreach weeks.
Backyard composting and worm farming
A backyard composting and worm farming workshop was delivered at the Singleton Public Library in June 2022, attracting highly positive reviews from workshop participants. Another workshop will be held later this year, due to the popularity of this workshop. Keep an eye out on the Council Facebook page, or contact EnviroCom to register your interest using the details listed at the top of this page.
‘Upcycle’ and reuse
The second workshop will focus on ‘upcycling’, which is the creation of new higher-value items from waste materials. It will be held at the Burragan Recycle Shop (tip shop), located at the Singleton Waste Management Centre to promote the recirculation of pre-loved, good condition items and also to raise community awareness of the Burragan Recycle Shop with the aim of improving patronage.
The workshop will demonstrate how to reuse and ‘upcycle’ waste materials. ‘Save the date’ for September 17 from 9:00am – 10:30am. The finer details and online booking page are yet to be finalised. Keep an eye out on the Council Facebook page, or contact EnviroCom to register your interest using the details listed at the top of this page.
