Programs

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Reduce, reuse, recycle (F-2)

Ecolinc
Full Day

Background

Everyday human activities produce waste in a number of forms. Waste in the form of litter pollutes the land and waterways, while waste disposed as rubbish ends up in landfill which can contaminate groundwater, not to mention the need to find new holes as existing ones quickly fill. The “Three Rs”, namely Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, represent ways of minimising the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.

Ecolinc is a Science and Technology Innovation Centre specialising in programmes on the theme of sustainability and the environment, and as such implements many of the techniques that comprise the Three Rs. Ecolinc uses 100% recycled paper and pencils made from recycled paper, while folders are made from recycled plastic. Ecolinc composts all waste food materials and maintains an active worm farm. A composting toilet is available outside.

Learning Intentions

In this activity students will:

  • Understand the importance of preventing waste from entering the environment
  • Learn various strategies for minimising waste that goes to landfill
  • Discover the invertebrates that help turn waste food scraps into compost.

Activities

Students will:

  • Participate in an interactive demonstration of the impacts of litter on the environment called the Werribee River Story
  • Engage in a rubbish sorting exercise and discussion to show how recycling and reusing minimises the waste that is sent to landfill
  • Create an item from recycled waste materials
  • Search for and identify the invertebrates in a sample of compost.

Victorian Curriculum

  • Objects are made of materials that have observable properties (VCSSU044)
  • Everyday materials can be physically changed or combined with other materials in a variety of ways for particular purposes (VCSSU045)
  • Earth’s resources are used in a variety of ways (VCSSU047)
  • Natural, managed and constructed features of places, their location and how they change (VCGGK068)
  • Reasons why some places are special and some places are important to people and how they can be looked after (VCGGK069).