Karen Wagner is the Director of KU St Ives
Barra Brui Preschool on Sydney’s North Shore.
The service participated in a project to teach
the children about how they could responsibly
manage waste from paper towels and reduce
impact on landfill.
Why is sustainability in early education so important?
My main interest in sustainable practices has come from wanting to be a good role model for my own children and the children I work with.
Early childhood education has always been my passion and the only career I ever wanted. I began working with KU when I graduated from university in 1986 until 1993 to have my family, and then returned in 2006.
It is important that children begin to gain awareness of environmental sustainability through play. Children are very capable learners and have a very open and positive perspective when trying to do things that are for the ‘good’.
How did the paper towel recycling project start at KU St Ives Barra Brui?
We were selected to be one of KU’s preschools participating in the program by KU’s Sustainability Manager and our Education and Quality Manager. We thought it was a good way to recycle the paper hand towels that are used as the amount really adds up on a daily basis.
The children kick-started the project by decorating buckets where they would collect the used paper towels.
What did the children gain from the experience?
This is the perfect age to introduce learning about sustainable practices, and there are so many things that children can do independently to help the planet such as recycling paper, turning taps off, planting and looking after plants for example.
So, at the end of 2022, we could see that the children involved had a clear understanding of the recycling project. They even began to self-manage the number of towels they were using.