Inspired by 'A Load of Rubbish'
Published on 02 April 2025
Tauraroa Area School students learn about the six ‘R’s’ of resource management – rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and repair.
Children across the Whangārei District have been inspired by 'A Load of Rubbish', one of the House of Science’s most popular education kits.
“The House of Science makes resource kits for primary and intermediate aged students to learn about the practical aspects of science,” said Whangārei Branch Manager Janine Burns.
“In 2022, we used a $2,875 grant from the Council's Waste Minimisation Fund to obtain a science kit entitled, 'A Load of Rubbish'. The money received was also used to help maintain and transport the kit around the various schools in the Whangārei and Kaipara districts.
“Students use it to learn the six ‘R’s’ of resource management – rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and repair. They explore how to 'design out' waste and look to the natural world for ways to minimise waste.”
Janine says students also get to know about different sorts of polymers, what they are used for and explore ways of making alternative plastics.
“This was one of the most popular kits, booked 27 times over the 40-week school year.”
Got a great idea? Need money for it?
If you have a great waste minimisation idea, which you could get off the ground with a little bit of financial help, the Waste Minimisation Fund could be for you.
The fund supports innovative solutions that reduce waste and enhance waste minimisation efforts across the Whangārei District.
“Our goal is to encourage waste minimisation projects via community participation, education and long-term behaviour change that benefit the District and contribute to reducing waste to landfill,” says Council’s Waste Minimisation Officer Wendy Bertholet.
There are two funding rounds per year, offering $1,000 to $5,000, or $5,000 to $30,000 for special projects.
Find out more about the fund and apply by 18 April 2025:
Waste Minimisation Fund