Zero Waste Initiative Education
Reduce Carbon Footprint One Bin at a Time
Sustainability is no longer optional in today’s world; it’s a necessity. 74% of Australians think recycling regularly is the most impactful thing they can do for the environment.
The Zero Waste Initiative focuses on minimising waste at its source. Centralised bins are strategically placed around the school to encourage separation of recyclables, organics, and waste. This system is complemented by clear signage and guidance to ensure maximum student and faculty participation and efficiency.
Eliminating general bins throughout the school and classrooms in favour of centralised waste management encourages thoughtful sorting and disposal, increasing the amount of waste that is recycled, ultimately leading to a tidier school and a substantial reduction in landfill.
How it Works
Rather than having under desk bins and hoping that the cleaner sorts the rubbish correctly, the Zero Waste Initiative used centralised bins are strategically placed around the school to encourage separation of different waste streams, limiting the amount of waste sent to landfill.
Typical centralised sorting stations feature the following bins:
By effectively separating these different forms of waste, organisations can limit the amount of waste going to landfill, not only saving money and reducing their carbon footprint, but also limiting greenhouse gasses, as decomposing landfill waste releases methane, a potent contributor to climate change.
This system is complemented by clear signage and guidance to ensure maximum employee participation and efficiency.
Key Benefits
- Significant cost and time savings for waste management and cleaning.
- Reducing carbon footprint and enhances environmental credentials.
- Suitable for any workplace and adaptable to customer needs.
- Encourages behaviour change to boost recycling rates.
- Empowers employees to engage in sustainability.
- Proper waste sorting makes it easy to measure and weigh different waste streams.
Our Partners
Method Recycling
Method Recycling combines IoT technology with elegant bins enabling any space to waste less and recycle more in a visually appealing way.
Method bins feature brightly coloured and labelled lids to make it clear which bin is for what waste, and the bin bottoms are made from recycled materials sourced from local council collections. Method is also a B Corp and NABERS certified company, meaning it meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
Method bins can be combined with InSight weight sensors that give granular waste data in close to real time. This data is collated to give details such as the amount of waste being placed in each bin, the times that see the most waste being disposed of, and how much waste is being diverted from landfill.
Source Separation Systems
Focused on connecting Australians to a more sustainable world with their innovative recycling products, Source Separation Systems specialise in creating solutions that make being sustainable easy and convenient. Founded in 2007, Source is an Australian owned family business dedicated to creating products that enable people to live more sustainably.
From composting systems to commercial recycling solutions, Source Separation Systems bins are made in Australia from recycled materials. Each bin features a coloured top with a uniquely shaped opening, making sorting waste easy. The goal of Source Separation Systems is to help reduce waste, increase recycling, and encourage the use of compostable materials, contributing to a more sustainable circular economy.
SULO
SULO is a leading provider of waste management solutions, offering versatile, durable bins perfect for schools of all sizes. Sulo provides premium waste solutions that are
engineered to withstand kerbside, commercial and industrial waste collection.
SULO bins are proudly designed and manufactured in Australia. Constructed from recycled plastic packaging waste collected from household recycling bins and end-of-life mobile garbage bins, SULO bins are an environmentally responsible solution for waste management.
These bins are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, and are engineered to withstand harsh conditions including UV exposure, frost, heat, and chemicals. The versatile and lightweight design of SULO bins ensures ease of mobility, making them ideal for a wide range of applications.
Source Separation Systems and Australian Schools Case Study
After realising that waste generated by schools was a growing problem, a government department looked to launch an initiative to improve waste management in Australian schools and educate students about the importance of proper waste sorting. The pilot programme for the initiative would see a range of waste sorting bins being made available in each school, along with custom signage/labelling to help students learn what waste goes where.
Approx 60 locations were chosen from a pool of regional and metro schools of sizes varying from small to large. One of the key factors for supply was that the bins had to be Australian made. Being Australian made not only ensured that the bins were compliant with local standards, it also limited the carbon footprint of the project.
