About the Rethink Waste Schools program
Rethink Waste Schools throughout Tasmania reduce waste by implementing the 3Rs – reduce, reuse, recycle – while developing positive environmental values in students and the entire school community. Rethink Waste Schools model responsible environmental behaviours through hands-on learning experiences that are linked to the Australian Curriculum. The program helps schools set up infrastructure and provides resources aimed at changing attitudes and behaviours in regards to sustainable waste management. The program is free and available to all schools in Tasmania.
The Rethink Waste Schools program consists of three main documents:
The first outlines what is involved in the program and how schools can participate.
The second and third, the Action Plan Toolkit and Waste Audit Toolkit, are designed to be completed concurrently, with the results of the Waste Audit informing the actions in the Action Plan Toolkit. Essentially the Waste Audit will allow your school to measure the waste that needs to be managed, and the Action Plan will allow your school to manage the measured waste.
Rethink Waste Schools:
- develop an action plan to improve waste management in the whole school environment
- put together a team to champion the ideals of sustainability and drive the school community towards achieving waste management goals,
- undertake waste audits once a year
- use the action plan in the classroom to help students meet their Sustainability cross curriculum priority outcomes.
Rethink Waste Schools who successfully achieve the goals in their action plan and reduce waste to landfill by 30% in the first year are rewarded with a Rethink Waste certificate. Schools who maintain this reduction in subsequent years are awarded an additional
star for their certificate for up to five years, or five stars.
The Rethink Waste Schools philosophy
The Rethink Waste Schools program has been developed based on best practice education for sustainability principles. The overarching message of the program is to reduce, reuse and recycle, to promote the sustainable use of natural resources and minimise our collective environmental footprint.
Your Waste Management Groups
The Rethink Waste Schools Program is an initiative of the Cradle Coast Waste Management Group (CCWMG) and the Northern Tasmanian Waste Management Group (NTWMG).
The CCWMG and the NTWMG were created to help local councils manage waste and educate the community on waste related issues. This education program is the result of successful cooperation between the two groups and is a step towards unified waste management in the state.
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