Environmental awareness begins with container recycling at Toybox Early Learning

Recycling bottles and cans with Return and Earn is one of the ways educators at Toybox Early Learning in Mascot are laying the foundations for environmental awareness in their young charges.

Drink container recycling began several years ago with a fundraiser at the centre. Instead of asking families for a gold coin donation, they were asked to donate some empty bottles and cans. It didn’t cost families anything, but the 10c refunds added up to a nice donation for charity.

“We had such a great response that we decided to keep it going. We invested in a blue bin to have a place for families to bring their bottles and cans too,” said Director Lynne Graham.

After discovering there was a Return and Earn depot nearby on King Street in Mascot, they decided to run an excursion. That way the children would have a chance to learn more about what happened to the bottles and cans they were collecting. It was such a hit that the centre decided to make the visits a monthly event.

“The children enjoy going on the excursion and getting out and about. Each time we approach the depot they note the noise and the smell. The children are always reminding their parents to bring in containers so they can go to the depot,” said Lynne.

The centre engages the children in recycling in other ways too, including using recycled materials in their learning environments.

“We have regular discussions with the children about recycling and sustainability. We look at pictures of areas littered with rubbish and discuss what we see in the pictures and how it looks and makes us feel. Whilst the children are probably too young to fully understand about recycling and why it is important, we are laying the foundations to ensure that as they grow, so will their understanding,” said Lynne.

So far, the centre has returned more than 4,000 containers, raising $400 through Return and Earn.

“We have made a donation to the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, and we are now looking at adopting a whale—the totem animal of the Gadigal Land on which we meet and learn upon,” said Lynne.