New Recycling E-Waste Project
Overview
Currumbin Special School teacher, Toby Osborne, has started an inspiring programme which provides learning opportunities to hone the employment skills and social skills development for the students.
The programme
It commenced in June 2018 after some months of setup and has met with resounding success with the students.
Toby was Inspired
A Gecko ‘Recycling’ talk presented by Tony Sharp from Substation 33 inspired Toby to do something similar here on the Gold Coast.
Toby has been teaching at Currumbin Special School for 8 years. He is always looking for innovative ways to enhance his students’ education and work preparation.
Inspired by Tony, who has shared his vast knowledge of the recycling process, he started to lobby his school to set up the new learning environment.
Student Participation
Each Monday, Toby and the students collect the E-waste from Gecko.
Back at school the fun starts.
Using the chart of valuable materials and components found in E-Waste, the students work to retrieve, recycle and renew the items collected.
The students participating in this program continue to build their technical knowledge and skills with every session.
They are all making great progress in enhancing their fine motor skills, their correct selection and use of tools, workplace health and safety practices and following multi-step instructions.
In addition to valuable work based skills students are also engaging in authentic learning experiences in the areas of mathematics and science at the same time.
Where to from here?
As the components and materials are gathered, Toby is sourcing places to distribute, reuse, repurpose or sell them.
95% will be saved from landfill!
Gecko Environment Council (Gecko) has been a PlanetArk drop off spot for E-Waste since 2017 and this was the perfect partnership to ensure that the E-Waste is ethically managed.
Previously the E-Waste was delivered to Substation 33, a social enterprise recycling project in Brisbane which repurposes, recycles and renews E-Waste with less than 5% ending up in landfill.
