Students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 at Gagebrook Primary School recently rolled up their sleeves for a hands-on waste education session with Brighton Council’s Waste Education Officer, Gwen Harper otherwise known as Garbage Gwen.

During the visit, students explored the world of household waste, learning exactly what items belong in their general waste, recycling, or FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) bins. Working in small groups, they examined everyday household items to identify what materials they were made from, if they were made with renewable or non-renewable resources, and where they should go once they were no longer wanted.

Once they mastered the basics, students were challenged to level up by considering better disposal options, such as avoiding waste altogether, donating, repairing, or reusing items in creative ways. Students even got to see a behind-the-scenes video of a Recycle Rewards collection centre where drink containers are processed after being fed into a Recycle Rewards reverse vending machine. They watched these containers transform back into new drink containers— highlighting how containers can be part of a circular recycling system.

Mrs Heather Heron, a STEM teacher at Gagebrook Primary, said, “The kids absolutely loved the incursion. They were really engaged by the hands-on activi­ties and to brainstorm new ways to think about waste and save natural resources.”

Garbage Gwen praised the school’s commitment, adding, “It was fantastic to see Gage­brook Primary taking the ini­tiative to bring waste education into the classroom. Providing students with hands-on experi­ences like these is a great way to make learning relevant and fun, and it helps build lifelong habits that protect our environment.”

The interactive session left students with lots of ideas about how small actions at home can make a big difference, and how “it’s only really waste if it’s wasted in a landfill”.