Waste Education Support and Advice

Oldham Council has a full time Waste Education Officer responsible for encouraging waste reduction and recycling in schools and the wider community.

Educational support and provision includes:

assemblies,
workshops and staff meetings,
activities and classroom sessions,
projects,
general advice and information, including environmental education resources.
help with co-ordinating visitors coming into schools

Please contact Joanne Stanley on 0161 770 1198 or email her at Joanne.Stanley@oldham.gov.uk for further information

Useful Information

School Visits

GLASSFOREVER Education Centre

GLASSFOREVER offers a choice of free education visits. For those who can reach the factory at Knottingley, West Yorkshire the GLASSFOREVER Education Centre is a first choice. The GLASSFOREVER Education Centre was opened in September 2000 at the Rockware Glass factory in Knottingley, West Yorkshire. The Education Centre is an exciting place that year Key Stage 2 classes can visit with their teachers to learn about recycling glass.
For those schools too far away the GLASSFOREVER Education Roadshow can bring the factory and its recycling processes to you. A qualified teacher hosts each visit, and a resource pack is available. The GLASSFOREVER Education Roadshow is available free of charge. It has to be booked in advance, and is subject to availability. Contact by email at glassforever@rockware.co.uk or telephone 01977 674111 (full contact details can be found on our Useful Contacts List).

The Alternative Technology Centre

The Alternative Technology Centre (ATC) is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1999 on the banks of the Rochdale Canal in Hebden Bridge. As an educational resource centre, it aims to make sustainability achievable by providing inspiration, accessible information and advice. It offers tours and various workshops including ones on plastic and paper recycling.
The ATC involves people with a variety of skills, both paid and on a voluntary basis including teachers, lecturers, and artists. Contact by email at info@alternativetechnology.org.uk or telephone 01422 84 21 21 (full contact details can be found on our Useful Contacts List).

Drama

CragRats ReAct

CragRats ReAct are a drama company based in Holmfirth who perform environmentally themed dynamic plays and interactive workshops, supported by additional resource materials and evaluation. CragRats ReAct Waste Awareness Programmes are comprehensive theatre presentation packages designed to communicate key messages in schools and other learning environments.
Clients can choose from a number of existing packages including covering topics like Waste Awareness and Recycling, Energy and the Environment. Aside from these, they also design bespoke packages, tailor-made for a client’s requirements, the target group and the area in which it will be delivered. The packages are quite expensive, but the costs go down the more schools that are involved. Contact them by email at react@cragrats.com or telephone 01484 686451 (full contact details can be found on our Useful Contacts List).

Recycler

Recycler, the rapping robot, dances, raps and chats to children aged 5-11 about how to fight the problem of waste by reducing, re-using and recycling rubbish. Cycler, who is provided by the national organisation called Wastewatch (full contact details can be found on our Useful Contacts List), can visit schools and will do a presentation linked to the National Curriculum of approximately 45 minutes. Teacher resource packs and printed workbooks that contain a host of follow-up activities are also provided. There is a fee charged to cover materials, staff, travel and subsistence costs. Contact by email at cycler@wastewatch.org.uk (full contact details can be found on our Useful Contacts List).

Recycled resources

Scrapstores collect materials from commerce and industry, sort and provide craft materials, such as packaging or production oddments like wood, plastic and fabric offcuts, paper, film and card for those organising creative activities. Scrapstores are now also regularly exchanging large amounts of materials between themselves, to meet local needs and put to use any excess materials.

Most schemes are operated by volunteers, sometimes with help from local councils, businesses or community trusts. Many have small shops selling art and craft materials and low-cost play and educational supplies, and offering equipment hire. They also often run practical workshops on creative use of scrap materials, e.g. Grumpy’s on Vaughan Street in West Gorton. There is a fee for joining the scheme. Contact by email at manchester@grumpy.org.uk or telephone 0161 223 9730 (full contact details can be found on our Useful Contacts List).