Classrooms go old-school to save the planet

SCHOOLS across the region took part in hands-on repair and reuse workshops for National Recycling Week.

The week runs November 11-16 and encourages residents to rethink waste and keep valuable materials out of landfill.

In the Tweed, grades 4, 5 and 6 students from St Anthony’s visited the Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre Education Centre to learn practical skills, including repairing surfboard dings, mending books and textiles, a clothes swap, and turning used tyres into garden planters.

The workshops were delivered by Tweed Shire Council in collaboration with Planet Ark as part of the national campaign.

Tweed Shire Council’s resource recovery education officer, Angie Burnheim, said the workshops were important for kids.

“They connect real-world problems to their everyday lives so they can relate to their environment and do whatever they can to protect it,” Burnheim said.

“For example, learning how to fix and repair as opposed to consuming and throwing away.

“It’s really important that we all familiarise ourselves with what goes in what bins,” she said.

“We know it can be confusing, but if we all do our bit, we can reduce Tweed’s landfill and positively influence our environment.”

Recent research from Planet Ark found that around 80 per cent of items placed in household recycling bins are successfully recycled, and only six per cent end up in landfill due to breakage or processing issues.

“So, yes, your efforts really do count,” Burnheim said.

The council also provides drop-off services for items that cannot go in kerbside bins. The council’s Waste Wizard tool lists more than 100 common household products and how to manage them correctly.

For more information and to try the Waste Wizard, visit tweed.nsw.gov.au/recycling-reducing-waste