Recycling workshops

About our free recycling workshops

Are you looking to boost recycling in your school, community group, or business? We offer a variety of free workshops and events to help you meet your sustainability goals. 

Email [email protected] to learn more or book a session.

Community initiatives

We can visit community groups, businesses and other organisations to provide waste and recycling workshops, including:

• engaging recycling talks and seminars
• cookery demonstrations showing how to reduce food waste
• informal coffee morning chats, and
• information stands at local events.

We can also create tailored sessions for your group based on your requirements. 

Email [email protected] for more information or to book a visit.

School recycling education programme

We offer a comprehensive, curriculum-linked recycling programme for schools - completely free of charge. Our sessions support the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award and can be adapted to your school’s goals.

Key stage 1

Our programme includes:

• Outdoor environmental games - using games and activities to learn about litter, recycling and nature (30 minutes).
• The story of paper - a recycling talk with a specific focus on paper (30 minutes).
• Dig for Victory - compares recycling and food waste issues today with those during World War II (30 to 45 minutes, and can include an optional planting activity). 

Key stage 2

Our programme includes:

• Environmental trail - outdoor session with pupils, in groups, working their way through 14 rhyming clues and working out the answers as they go, followed by environmental games (45 minutes).
• General recycling talk (30 minutes).
• Paper making workshop - turn your classroom into a paper recycling factory (60 minutes).
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle quiz - interactive recycling quiz (45 minutes).

We can also adapt programmes based on your requirements, for example, to focus on a particular material or waste-related issue. 

Key stage 3

Our programme includes: 

• Let’s talk rubbish - a debating workshop where pupils get the chance to air their views on a range of current litter and recycling issues.
• Designing the Circular Economy (aimed at technology classes in year 9 and 10). Students learn more about the circular economy and, working in groups, design their own new product or service that must adhere to circular economy principles, including ease of repair, durability, materials used and recyclability. 

Further and Higher Education

We also offer sessions for students and staff in colleges and universities.

Email [email protected] to book a session.

Free wormeries for schools and community organisations

Wormeries are a great way of recycling food waste into rich compost and liquid plant food.

Schools and community groups in Belfast can apply for a free Worm Works wormery. If your application is successful, your school will receive:

• a wormery
• one kilogramme of composting worms, and
• an electronic information pack about how to use your wormery including how to set it up, what to feed the worms and answers to common questions.

The design of the wormery makes it easy to use, to see what the worms are doing and to extract the finished compost.

How to apply for a wormery

Wormeries are available on a first-come, first-served basis to schools and community organisations in the Belfast City Council area. This scheme is not open to individuals or households.

You can apply by emailing [email protected]

Compost for community groups and schools

We are offering schools, community groups and other organisations up to three tonnes of compost for free. 

The compost is made by Natural World Products, a local company that processes the food and garden waste we collect from Belfast households.

Email [email protected] to claim your free compost.

Board game recycling sessions for primary schools

National Recycle Week takes place from Monday 22 to Sunday 28 September 2025. To celebrate, we're offering a fun and free board game session for primary schools in Belfast. The session is for Year 5 and Year 6 classes.

The interactive board game is a brilliant way for pupils to learn about commonly missed recyclable items and to rescue them from the rubbish bin. These engaging sessions are not just for Recycle Week; they are available for schools throughout the academic year.

To book a board game session, contact our Environmental Education and Outreach Team by emailing [email protected].