Waste education

The Council's Waste Education Officers help people to minimise waste. Take advantage of the following opportunities and resources.

Apply for a grant to minimise your waste

To find out if your community-based organisation is eligible, and for full details, see: Applying for a Waste Minimisation Seed Fund

Use this handy flier to find all of the environmental resources that Council offers.

Free talks for workplaces and community groups

One of our educators can visit your workplace or community group and deliver an education session on:

  • Reducing Waste in Wellington (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
  • Reducing Food Waste – Love Food Hate Waste
  • Composting

Free landfill tours

Tours of the Southern Landfill are available. Large visiting groups must organise their own bus to drive to and around the site.

Tours need to be arranged prior and booked in as it is an operational working site. Please see the email address below to book.

The one-hour tour includes visiting the:

  • recycle centre and Tip Shop
  • transfer station
  • compost plant
  • dewatering plant
  • closed landfill sites.

The tour gives a history of waste operations at the Southern Landfill, looks at the volume and types of waste being sent to landfills, and shares ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Tour information can be tailored to suit the group's main interests. 

Free talks for schools and early childhood education centres

One of our educators can visit a class / school to give a talk on:

  • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
  • Reducing Food Waste
  • Composting

We have a dedicated educator that delivers the Zero Waste Education programme to schools and early childhood education centres, for more information head to the Zero Waste Education page.  

Worm farms and compost bins

To help divert organic waste from landfills, the Council offers one free worm farm or one free compost bin to every school and preschool in the Wellington region. We can help you educate your students on the topic of organic waste when we deliver the bin or worm farm.

At the Southern Landfill Tip Shop you can source materials that can be used to build a worm farm, a compost bin or to design artworks.

b-side stories interview with Operations Manager Darren Hoskins

More information

For more information or to make a booking, email: waste.education@wcc.govt.nz