Communities and education

Overview

We work with communities throughout the city to help promote recycling in a variety of ways. This includes working with children and young people through schools and youth groups, working with adult groups such as the Women’s Institute and community cafes and community engagement events.

Workshops

We deliver interactive talks to classes, school assemblies and community groups. If required and where possible, we can tailor our talks and activities to fit in with your curriculum or group interests.

Each workshop or talk contains a mixture of practical activities and group discussion to explore the topic. The workshops we offer:

• Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – Pupils are encouraged to explore how they can reduce reuse and recycle their waste, all while learning more about the amazing products waste can be turned into.
• Love Food Hate Waste - This workshop raises awareness regarding issues on food waste, including appropriate storage of food, use by and sell by dates, meal planning and simple food leftover recipes.
• Love your clothes – This workshop looks at the huge impact that fast fashion has on the environment, how much textile waste we create and what we can do to help.
• Composting Champions (seasonal) – This workshop gives pupils the practical skills to start composting at school as well as at home. It lets them explore the basics of composting, including where best to locate a composter, what to compost and how it works.

If you would like to request any of our workshops, contact us.

A Plastic Ocean

In addition to our workshops, we have a 22-minute version of the documentary film ‘A Plastic Ocean’. This award-winning documentary highlights the issue of plastic pollution which affects the planets oceans. It’s available to be shown to schools and community groups, accompanying activities can also be provided.

Events

If you have a community event coming up, our team can attend local events to raise awareness of waste and recycling issues, contact us. 

Litter picking kits for hire

Do you work for a school, volunteer at a local community group, or are simply passionate about looking after your local area? Why not organise a litter picking event. We have kits available to hire free of charge, from our partners at Associated Waste Management (AWM).

Clearing our local areas of rubbish helps to protect the natural environment and makes them nicer places to live. Organising a community litter pick can make a big difference.

As part of their Social Value Programme, AWM offer complete litter picking kits that contain all the essentials for a thorough and successful clean-up of your local area.

If you are interested in hiring a kit, contact us.

Community award

If you are a local community or volunteering group, CIC, not for profit organisation or registered charity looking to fund an environmental or sustainability themed project, then the community award funded by AWM might be able to help.

We have up to seven lots of up to £500 of funding available. The community fund will open again in February 2026 and was set up to support projects that encourage waste reduction, recycling or are a benefit to the environment. The scope of the funding is wide and will be judged on the projects ability to achieve the best value for money in terms of impact on the local environment and reach in the local community. Only one successful application per organisation will be accepted.

To find out more and apply, visit the the Derbyshire Knowledge Hub page on the AWM website.