About waste education

Maitland City Council engages with the community through a range of proactive waste education programs, partnerships and events that encourage positive waste avoidance, reuse and recycling behaviours.
Through our Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2030 and targets set by the NSW Government, we are committed to achieving 80 per cent diversion of waste from landfill by 2030.
Education is focused on helping residents and participants to sort their waste correctly and encouraging positive waste
minimisation behaviours, in line with the waste hierarchy.
On this page, you will find information on how our waste
education team can work collaboratively with you, your
community group, school or business, to ensure the best
possible sustainable waste practices for the Maitland community.
Education talks
Our waste education team offer free waste education incursions and talks for schools and community groups.
- Class incursions (preschool and daycare): Talks on our three bin system, upcoming FOGO service, composting and worm farming, and more.
- Community talks: Arrange for our educators to present to your community group.
Ready to get started? Email our Waste team.
Our Waste Heroes
You’ll see these colourful characters on our waste collection trucks, out and about on the streets collecting your household waste.
Each character comes with their own inspiring ideas on how we can follow their lead, change our everyday habits and work to reduce everyday waste.
Our Waste Heroes were created by 11 creative local schoolchildren. Find out some fun facts about each character and see who you can spy next time you spot a waste truck in your street.
Downloadable resources
Get to know our Waste Heroes better and learn all about responsible waste practices with the fun classroom resources.
Programs and partnerships
Maitland City Council partners with a range of campaigns and programs to educate and encourage our community to consume less and reuse more.
Find out more on how you can get involved and what’s coming up.

Being a waste hero is good for your elf. Hibiscus loves nature and is focused on protecting our ecosystems and plant life. She is incredibly particular about buying and using sustainable and environmentally safe products, and aspires to encourage others to do the same, because every small action we commit to makes a difference.
It’s time to think outside the box. Barry the Box Monster’s mission in life is to teach children all about the importance of waste sorting, at home and at school. Do you know what should and shouldn’t go in your red waste bin? Almost half of what we throw out, should be sorted somewhere else!
Upcycle to the max by repairing your wares. Use and reuse is Max’s lesson for you. Why buy new when you can find new and creative uses for items you already own? Waste doesn’t become waste until it’s thrown out! Max knows all too well, one person’s trash is another’s treasure!
Terry Titanium has super powers! His power is never forgetting his reusable items. Single use items are used in minutes, but destined for a lifetime in landfill. Choose instead material shopping bags, re-useable water bottles and travel mugs, non disposable wraps and straws. Why not even slow down and choose to dine in?
Haste’s quest is to avoid and reduce the generation of waste, living by the motto: ‘Act with haste, reduce waste’. Why put off to tomorrow what you can recycle today? Let’s commit to start today by acting with Haste to reduce our waste.
Rocko is a food waste warrior! Rocko wants to encourage everyone to do better by sharing his golden rules to not letting good food go bad: buy it with thought, cook it with care, use what’s left. Rocko says, you can even make good use of your scraps by composting it for your garden.
Beep boop, what to do with old electronics? Beep Beep is a bot on a mission, here to tell us to think it through and safely and responsibly dispose of our e-waste and old batteries.
He’s a clover, not a fighter! Clover’s calling is to promote safety around our trucks and bin collection. He needs his space, and so do we! When you pop your bins out on the kerb, be sure to leave 30cm between them, to give our drivers room to pick them up and empty them.