Year 1 + 22026-08-01T12:27:57+00:00

Year 1 – 2

Is that Really Rubbish?

& The Litterless Lunch Box

Is that Really Rubbish?

This unit focuses on items of rubbish commonly found in the children’s homes. They are asked to consider the question “Is that really rubbish?” before exploring whether the items could be used again, placed in a recycling bin, or fed to the worms in the compost/worm farm. The classroom becomes a place of waste minimisation in action with students playing with simple toys made from reused materials, as well as seeing a real worm farm full of wriggly worms. The programme is taught over two 45 minutes lessons by a specialist educator.

The litterless lunchbox

Students are introduced to the concept of ‘litter’(things we don’t want anymore) and explore their lunchboxes to discover what litter hides within.After examining the connection between the litterin their lunchboxes and the litter evident in the environment, the students embark on a litter huntin the school grounds. Armed with their new knowledge it’s now time for the students to explore some simple alternatives to the litter-filled lunchbox. The end goal being the creation of a litterless lunch menu they can share with their caregivers, and a reduction in school litter The programme is taught over two 45 minutes lessons by a specialist educator.

All units are supported by workbooks / worksheets, interactive games and activities, DVD’s, relevant photos and website references

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you use paper booklets instead of digital resources?2026-07-26T06:40:47+00:00

Great question! There are a number of reasons why we are still using paper booklets.
1. Access! Not all schools have devices for all students. Printing paper booklets means we can ensure that all students can work at their own pace.
2. Sharing. Students can take their resources home and share with their whānau. Our kaupapa is not just teaching the younger generation, but also the wider community.
3. Money. Quite simply, online resources would take a huge amount of money to set up and would require further costs to maintain. Zero Waste Education isn’t a huge corporation, our educators are self-employed contractors to a non profit organisation.
4. Flexibility. Using paper resources means we can change things that are out of date, or things that aren’t quite working, frequently.

My district isn’t funded, what can I do?2026-07-26T06:40:32+00:00

Contact your local council and suggest they support us. Specifically the Solid Waste Team

What ages can be taught?2026-07-26T06:40:20+00:00

In council funded areas we can teach year 0-8s. Depending on the area, there might be an early childhood teacher available as well.

How long are the lessons?2026-07-26T06:39:46+00:00

ECEs have one lesson that is 30 minutes in total.
Year 1-2 have two 45mins lessons
Year 3-8 units comprise 3 x 1 hour or 4 x 45min lessons.
All units include discussion, activities and a chance to move and talk.

How often can you teach at my school?2026-07-26T06:38:17+00:00

Each group of students can be taught once per year. A school can be visited multiple times per year, as long as a different class is taught each time.

Who does the teaching?2026-07-26T06:38:03+00:00

Our specially trained educators teach all units. We do ask that classroom teachers stay with their students to help facilitate their visit.

How much does the programme cost?2026-07-26T06:37:53+00:00

Zero Waste Education doesn’t cost schools anything in our funded, thanks to the support of councils!

Browse more from our frequently asked questions here.

Educate today for a
sustainable tomorrow

Our experienced educators empower tamariki to become environmental kaitiaki.
We offer inspiring, engaging, hands-on learning that links to the curriculum.

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