Background information

Content information about waste:

What is waste? Waste is the things we no longer want or need and it comes from most of the things that we do. We produce waste through the food and drinks we consume, the transport we use, and the things we buy. Waste also comes in excessive packaging and presentation of goods. In nature, there is no waste, everything is used and reused by something else.

Recycling is one of the easiest ways of being green. All it takes is putting the right thing in the right bin. But why do it? Well, there are a number of reasons and they're all very important:

All the raw materials required to make any of the goods that we use come from resources that are finite, meaning that once they run out you won’t be able to get them back. Recycling means we can use these items over and over again.
Getting the raw materials uses more energy than recycling. In the case of aluminium cans for example, making a can from recycled materials rather than from raw materials saves 95% of the energy that is used when making the can from scratch.
Recycling reduces the amount of waste going to landfill. The less waste in landfill is less waste in our environment which is better for everyone. However, there are certain ‘rules’ about what can be recycled and what can’t be recycled. If you’re uncertain what works where you are check with your local council about what they accept for recycling. Generally speaking paper, cardboard, milk cartons, glass, and plastic water and soft drink bottles are fine. Plastics recycling can be more tricky: plastic packaging will typically have a recycling symbol with a number. Your council will be able to tell you which numbers are recycled in your area.

Content information about sustainability and creativity:

Sustainability describes the ability to keep going at the same rate and in the same (or better) condition as before. In order for our world to be able to sustain us, as well as the generations to come, we need to change. It’s time to think differently - and more creatively - about sustainability and the future of our planet.

Creativity and approaching challenges in a creative way has traditionally been seen as a natural gift, but in fact it can be grown just like a muscle. Creativity is like any other skill. It can be learned and developed – especially in the classroom. It’s a crucial skill for everybody to practice and, ultimately, master.

Our environment provides a wealth of opportunities for children to explore and develop creativity. Nature itself stimulates our senses and encourages imagination and inspiration. Animals and plants excite and amaze us. The seasons offer different palettes and materials to work with at different times of the year. Natural phenomena such as rainbows and thunderstorms incite wonder and awe.

Exploring key themes around sustainability through creativity is key in engaging children's interest in these important – and often very serious – issues. It is also proven that children who are connected to their world and their environment are more likely to take action to care for it later in life.

Faber-Castell have long understood the importance of creativity to all people, especially to young people. They are also continuously searching for environmentally friendly processes and materials in support of their creative goals. Faber-Castell products are made from environmentally friendly raw materials that are low in harmful substances, have a long service life and are refillable where possible. Pencils made by Faber-Castell are made using wood from sustainably managed forests. For more information about Faber-Castell, click here.

Teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives.
Thomas Berry

Definitions:

Waste: Things we no longer want or need, or that we can no longer use.
Recycle: To turn used materials into something new.
Reuse: To use again.
Reduce: To use less of.
Sustainability: Sustainability is about making sure there is enough for our environment and for everyone on Earth, both now and in the future.

New words for children to learn:

Waste
Recycle

Ages 0 to 2

Preparation: Collect a range of waste materials, such as cardboard boxes of various sizes, plastic containers and bottles, cans, aluminium foil and plastic wrap, scrap paper, and paper and plastic bags. Ensure that sharp edges and loose parts have either been removed or securely fastened.

Display the waste materials you collected and invite children to handle the materials. As they explore them, pose some of the following questions:

I wonder which ones are the heaviest?
I wonder if we can sort them from heaviest to lightest?
I wonder what colours they are?
I wonder if we can make a rainbow from waste materials?
I wonder what all these things smell like? I wonder if they smell good or bad?
I wonder which ones are hard and which ones are soft?
I wonder which ones are shiny?

Explain to children that some of the items are waste and should go in the rubbish bin. Place these items in the bin. Explain to children the other items can be put into the recycling bin to be made into new things but that you can use them before they go into the recycling bin.

Now explain that before you put them in the rubbish or recycling bins you can use them again in many different ways. One of these ways is to use them in art and craft activities. Some of these activities could include:

Decorate old boxes and use for storage.
Decorate old egg cartons and use for storage.
Cardboard tube bracelets: Cut cardboard tubes into rings and decorate them to use as bracelets.
Egg carton diorama/scene: Decorate the inside of an egg carton with a nature scene. The egg carton can be closed and then opened to reveal the nature scene.
Cardboard tube blower: Decorate a cardboard tube and add streamers around the opening of one end. You can then use the tube as a blower or trumpet and watch the streamers blow around.
Use the following items as stamps to use with paint: Ridged base of a soft drink bottle, paper tubes, egg cartons, corks, bottle lids, bubble wrap.
Bug house from milk carton: Build a bug house.
Egg carton flower: Either cut out individual egg holders or leave four joined together. Decorate and add a stick as the stalk.
Clip various waste materials (such as foil, plastic wrap, bubble wrap or baking paper) into a peg and use as a paint brush.
Paint old tin cans and make a wind chime.
Other ideas for reusing waste: Reusing Waste Activities.

Provocations

I wonder what waste is?
I wonder what different types of waste we can find?
I wonder how the different types of waste look and feel?
I wonder where waste comes from?
I wonder if waste is good or bad for our environment?
I wonder if we can use these waste materials for new things?

Possible lines of development

Waste safety - never touch waste on the ground and never play with rubbish bins. Always wash your hands after handling waste.
Make musical instruments from waste materials (e.g. use some as drums, seal rice or gum nuts inside tubs and use as shakers).
Test to see which types of waste float or sink

Ages 3 to 5

Preparation:

Collect a range of waste materials, such as cardboard boxes of various sizes, plastic containers and bottles, cans, aluminium foil and plastic wrap, scrap paper, and paper and plastic bags. Ensure that sharp edges and loose parts have either been removed or securely fastened.

Begin by asking children if they know what waste is:

I wonder what waste is? (Suggested answer: Waste is any object that we no longer want or that we throw out. Most of the waste that we make in a day are things like packaging used for food.)
I wonder where it comes from? (Suggested answer: Waste can come from many places, including food, food packaging, old toys, old clothes, plastic bottles and bags.)
I wonder where it goes? (Suggested answer: A lot of the waste we make can be recycled, which means it can be turned into something new. We just have to remember to put it in the recycling bin. Waste that can’t be recycled goes to a big hole in the ground – landfill – where it will break down slowly. Waste that ends up in our environment can make our environment sick, including the plants, animals, minibeasts, oceans, rivers and land. We should all try to stop waste getting into our environment.)
I wonder what waste is made of? (Suggested answer: Waste is made of many different things, such as old food, plastic, glass, paper, cardboard, fabric or metal.)

Now hold up some of the waste materials you collected earlier. Invite children to suggest whether they think this is waste. As children answer, invite them to extend their responses by asking “What makes you think that?”

Now invite children to think about how they could reuse this item:

I wonder what we could reuse this item as?
I wonder if we could turn it into something new?
I wonder if it would still be waste if we turned it into something new?

Explain to children that they are now going to create a sculpture using the materials you have collected. This could be:

A town or city
Another type of landscape
An underwater scene
A bug or fairy city (an outdoor city/town for the minibeasts or fairies in your yard)
A machine or vehicle
An invention!

Children could work together to design and construct their creations. In addition, encourage children to decorate their sculptures and add details using paints, pencils, crayons or marker pens.

As children create, prompt them to think about their creation using the following questions:

I wonder how many different types of ‘waste’ we can use?
I wonder what other things we could make with all this ‘waste’?
I wonder why we should find new ways to reuse waste? (Suggested answer: so that we stop waste ending up in our environment and harming nature.)

Share your creation with other children, parents and staff at your service, creating a display based on the idea of ‘Creatively Reusing Waste'.

To extend this activity, you could invite children to create a narrative to accompany their sculpture, such as:
"The bugs who will live in this town will be able to..."
or
"This invention is magic and can..."

Provocations

I wonder what waste is?
I wonder if there are other words for waste? (e.g. rubbish, litter, trash)
I wonder where waste comes from?
I wonder if waste is good or bad for our environment?
I wonder how we can stop making so much waste?
I wonder how things get recycled?

Possible lines of development

Investigate the composition of waste materials, such as testing how materials respond to water, sunlight or being buried.
Pull apart a juice box to see how many different materials are used to make a juice box.
Watch a video about recycling, e.g. where waste goes: investigate waste disposal systems in your area (this video shows how primary school students reduce waste in their classroom and this video looks at aluminium recycling).
Waste safety: never touch waste on the ground and never play with rubbish bins. Always wash your hands after handling waste.
Reusing waste in new activities: Reusing Waste Activities

Evaluation

Complete an analysis of learning listing evidence about:

Belonging	Finding something of interest
Communication	Expressing an idea or feeling
Exploration	Engaging with a challenge and persisting when difficulties arise
Wellbeing	Being involved

Embedding into daily practice

Work with children to complete a sustainability audit of your service: Sustainability Audit - Early Learning.
Ensure all rooms in your service have both waste and recycling bins.
Encourage all staff to collect reusable waste materials for children to reuse.
Hold outdoor art sessions at your service once a week or month and invite all children to join in and share their work with children of all age groups.
Provide families with tips or suggestions on ways to incorporate sustainability and creativity at home.

Creative Sustainability - The Art of Waste

Go to

Summary

Activity Guides and Printables

Activity Details

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

Additional Info

In this activity