It's National Recycling Week this November 11-15! This week offers educators a prime opportunity to teach students how small actions—like recycling properly or repurposing materials—can have a powerful environmental impact.

This week, let’s focus on practical ways to give resources a second life, reduce the need for new resources, and make recycling a meaningful habit.

Upcycling Timber: Turning Waste into New Creations

In Australia, an estimated 2.3 million tonnes of solid wood products goes to landfill each year. That’s a vast amount of material with the potential to be reused for creative projects. Upcycling timber not only diverts waste from landfill but also showcases to students how discarded resources can be transformed.

One idea is to have students design and build small wooden planters, desk organizers, or picture frames using reclaimed wood. By sanding, cutting, and reassembling old timber, students can practice woodworking skills while seeing firsthand how “waste” can become something functional and beautiful. This project reinforces that sustainability and creativity go hand in hand.

Sorting Items for Recycling with EcoBins

In 2020, Australia generated about 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste, yet only 16 percent of plastic was recycled. This statistic underscores the importance of proper recycling practices. Learning to sort recyclables correctly is a valuable skill, and EcoBins make it easy by providing dedicated bins for paper, mixed recycling, and landfill waste.

Shop EcoBins here

By following the Australasian Recycling Labels (ARL) as a guide, teachers can help students quickly recognize the right bin for each item. Sorting bins play a crucial role in recycling efforts by:

1. Reducing contamination: Keeping materials separated lowers contamination, improving the quality and volume of recyclables.
2. Improving recycling rates: Proper sorting means more items are correctly recycled.
3. Saving money: Efficient waste sorting can reduce waste management costs for schools and communities.
4. Protecting the environment: Proper sorting cuts down pollution and helps conserve natural resources.
5. Supporting a circular economy: Sorting waste helps turn it into a resource that can be reused or repurposed, promoting a sustainable future.

Repurposing Plastics with the Clarke Granulator and Sheet Press

Plastic waste is a significant concern, especially with the increased use of 3D printing and acrylic materials in educational projects. Instead of discarding plastic scraps, why not repurpose them?

With the Clarke granulator and Clarke plastics sheet press machine, students can transform plastic waste into new materials. By grinding plastic offcuts into granules and pressing them into sheets, students create raw materials for future projects. These sheets can be used for signage, tool organizers, or creative art pieces—demonstrating that recycling plastics isn’t only about disposal but about transforming waste into new resources.

Wrapping Up National Recycling Week

Incorporating upcycling, recycling, and repurposing into classroom projects gives students a tangible appreciation for sustainability. This National Recycling Week, encourage students to take these values beyond the classroom. Remind them that each item reused, each piece of timber upcycled, and each plastic sheet repurposed is a step towards a greener, more sustainable future.

With small steps, we can inspire a new generation of environmentally conscious thinkers ready to make a positive impact on our planet.

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