Waste education program expands through new partnership
Landcare Tasmania has partnered with Southern Waste Solutions (SWS) to deliver an expanded waste education program to primary schools across Tasmania, helping students understand waste, recycling and the impacts of rubbish on the environment and native wildlife.
Photo: Southern Waste Solutions CEO Nick Gifford with Landcare Tasmania CEO Peter Stronach at the Lutana Resource Recovery Centre.
The three-year partnership will support the statewide delivery of Landcare Tasmania’s Waste & Wildlife school incursions, alongside hands-on Let’s Explore Waste excursions to the Copping Waste Precinct and the Lutana Resource Recovery Centre.
Helping students understand where waste goes
The Let's Explore Waste program gives students a unique opportunity to see what happens to waste after it leaves their kerbside bins. By connecting classroom learning with real-world experiences, students gain practical knowledge about reducing waste, recycling correctly and protecting wildlife from pollution.
Southern Waste Solutions CEO Nick Gifford said education is key to changing long-term community behaviour.
“Kids can be a powerful influence in changing household behaviours — whether it is sorting recyclables correctly, adopting food organics and garden organics (FOGO), or finding ways to reuse and repair items rather than throwing them away,” Mr Gifford said.
“Seeing where waste goes after it is picked up from the kerbside is always a massive eye opener for kids and reinforces why it is so important that we reduce the amount of waste we produce.”
As part of the partnership, SWS has also employed a dedicated waste education specialist to strengthen coordination and consistency across waste education programs.
Building on a successful pilot program
Landcare Tasmania CEO Peter Stronach said the agreement builds on a successful pilot delivered in 2024 and will allow the program to reach more schools across the state.
“Southern Waste Solutions has demonstrated impressive leadership in supporting activities that aim to deliver long-term environmental benefits and move us toward a zero-waste future,” Mr Stronach said.
“We are excited to expand this important program, including education about the impact of waste on native wildlife.”
Feedback from teachers and students involved in the pilot program was overwhelmingly positive, with many describing visits to the Copping operations as a powerful learning experience that changed how they think about waste and its environmental impacts.
Program delivery across Tasmania
Over the next three years, the partnership will fund:
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Nine Let’s Explore Waste excursions
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18 Waste and Wildlife workshops for primary schools
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Statewide delivery beginning from Term 1 this year
By supporting waste education in schools, Landcare Tasmania and Southern Waste Solutions aim to inspire lasting behaviour change — empowering young Tasmanians to reduce waste, recycle correctly and care for their environment.
