Waste Minimisation
Waste is what people throw away. Scotland produces about 20 million tonnes of waste a year. About 20% of that is household waste – that’s almost 2 tonnes for every house in Scotland, every year.
Eco-Schools At Home Activities
Single Use Plastic - #EcoSchoolsAtHome
Even though a large part of the plastic that we use can go into the recycling bin, the collection of these bins might be altered as some local authorities won’t have the usual number of people working, and some waste centres will be closed. So what better time to look into alternatives to recycling!
Our Waste Collection Services - #EcoSchoolsAtHome
As Scotland adapts to Coronavirus, and some of us help by staying at home, many others are helping by continuing with their essential work. Some of these jobs involve the collection of waste and recycling from households and roadsides. Can you imagine what the impact would be on all of us if these services were withdrawn?
Featured Resources
Eco-Schools Curricular Map - Waste Minimisation Topic
Our revised curricular maps showing Experiences and Outcomes related to the Waste Minimisation Topic.
Low Carbon Skills - Films and Classroom Resources
These film resources have been made by pupils in schools across Scotland. Find out why it’s so important to know where products come from and why many businesses are trying lower their carbon footprint. These films will perhaps encourage your pupils to take action and make better consumer and life-style choices.
Watch Low Carbon Skills films and download teaching resources
Climate Challenge Fund - Waste
The Climate Challenge Fund supports projects that reduce carbon emissions caused by waste of resources. Projects have worked to reduce over-consumption, encourage the reuse of items, extend the life of everyday items through repair and maintenance and promote recycling of materials.
Have a look at some case studies, or find a funded project in your community.
Glasgow Cup Movement
Almost 500 million single-use cups are used in Scotland each year: an unimaginable number of cups that we are throwing away. And, if only 4% of these are currently recycled, what happens to the remaining 96%? Most go to landfill, but far too many just end up littering our beautiful country.
Single Use Plastics Resources
Upstream Battle - Keep Scotland Beautiful
Coming soon - a showcase campaign focusing on the Clyde to stop marine litter at its source. Sign up for campaign updates and help stop litter's journey from source to sea.
Low Carbon Skills - Never Refuse to Reuse
A film produced as part of the Low Carbon Skills - Textiles Resource. Thank you and well done to the S4 pupils at Kirkcaldy High Schoo who produced this film
UN Environment Programme - Beat Plastic Pollution
It’s time for a change. There are so many things that you can do – from asking the restaurants you frequent to stop using plastic straws, to bringing your own coffee mug to work, to pressuring your local authorities to improve how they manage your city’s waste.
CBBC Newsround Guide - Why is Plastic a Problem
A great guide to the plastic problem featuring a video report from the plastic busting Eco-Committee from Damers First School in Dorset.
Read more about why plastic is a problem and watch the video
Helen Graham - Plastic Fantastic: The Musical
Plastic Fantastic? is a musical that tells the story of plastic on this planet, from the invention of Bakelite over 100 years ago through its development to the mass production of plastic after the second world war. It goes on to acknowledge the unacceptable levels of plastic waste pollution we are facing in the 21st century, asking what can be done to improve the situation or if it’s too late. It ends with a message of hope and determination to bring change.
Helen Graham (author and composer of Plastic Fantastic? the musical) has kindly made the musical freely available for use.
Sky Ocean Rescue
Launched in January 2017, Sky Ocean Rescue aims to shine a spotlight on the issues affecting ocean health, find innovative solutions to the problem of ocean plastics, and inspire people to make small everyday changes that collectively make a huge difference. Full of videos, resources and stories on how you can #PassOnPlastic.
The Facts About Plastic - Plastic Oceans
Plastic Oceans Foundation engages people of all ages, in all social situations, to understand the danger of continuing to perceive plastic to be disposable. Plastic Oceans tackles this issue through an awareness campaign using film and media – including the documentary feature film, A Plastic Ocean and accompanying resources including The Plastic Inside Us Toolkit and a high level science review for A Plastic Ocean.
Practical Action - Plastics Challenge
Pupils Investigate the properties of plastics then find solutions to problems caused by plastic waste globally. An exciting new challenge for pupils aged 8-14 years to develop solutions to the problems caused by plastic waste globally.
Stride Global Citizenship Magazine - Journey of a Plastic Bag
Map the journey of a plastic bag from supermarket to ocean using a photograph sequencing activity.
Departement Omgeving - Zack's Journey
A great story for Early Years about the journey of a plastic bag from the shop to the ocean. Shared with the kind permission of the Eco-Schools National Operator for Flanders - Departement Omgeving
Food Waste Resources
Don't Waste Our Future
A joint European Manifesto of Young People and Local Authorities to promote Food Waste Reduction and the global Right to Food. Jointly written by young people from across Europe including pupils from four Scottish secondary schools. Young people also produced food waste campaign materials which you can use in your own school.
Zero Waste Scotland - Food Waste Monitoring Toolkit for Schools
Toolkits for your catering team and for teachers and pupils. The catering team toolkit is for monitoring kitchen waste (preparation waste, spoilage and unserved meals). The teacher and pupil kit is for monitoring plate waste from the canteen.
Zero Waste Scotland – Love Food Hate Waste Education Pack
Through a variety of engaging and easy to use inter-disciplinary lessons your learners are given a voice in the fight against food waste and will further understand this significant problem facing our world today. They are able to contribute directly in a positive and tangible way to reducing the amount of food we throw away.
Recycling Resources
Zero Waste Scotland - Resource Efficiency Pledge
Zero Waste Scotland have produced a Resource Efficiency Pledge for businesses which contains lots of great ideas that you could use within an education setting to plan action.
Zero Waste Scotland - Schools Resource Efficiency Programme
Learn how to save energy and money in schools, with this e-module for teachers. Test your eco-knowhow and swot up on solutions – from scrap paper to switch-offs to setting up an eco-group.
Zero Waste Scotland - Resource Efficiency Guide for Schools
A resource guide to complement the Resource Efficiency E-Module for educators. Assess and improve your use of Energy, Waste and Water and use Zero Waste Scotland's report card templates to track your progress.
Recycle for Scotland
Recycle for Scotland provides advice and information on how to recycle, helping to protect Scotland's natural environment and make our communities nicer places to live in.
Find out what you can recycle in your area, and how the recycling process works.
Stride Global Citizenship Magazine - Waste Timeline
Use a timeline to explore the amount of time it takes for a variety of materials to decompose and therefore have varying impacts on the environment.
Textile Waste Resources
Love Your Clothes
Every year an estimated £140 million worth of used clothing goes to landfill in the UK. There is absolutely no need for any clothing or textiles to make its way into a bin and this is both a significant environmental loss and a missed business opportunity.
Love Your Clothes was launched in 2014 to help inspire and influence consumers to make small conscious changes to reduce the impact of clothes on the environment.
Paper Waste Resources
Recycle Devon - Papermaking
What better way to help pupils understand the circular nature of recycling than taking paper from your classroom recycling box, setting up your own ‘recycling factory’ and making beautiful hand-made paper?
