Waste at Australian Schools - Cut Costs & Improve Recycling

Good intentions are the starting point. Systems make them stick.

Across Australia, schools are doing their best to reduce waste and create more sustainable environments. From passionate teachers running composting projects to student-led recycling initiatives, the intent and energy are clear. But without a whole-school strategy, these efforts can become fragmented. Bins appear without standard signage, food waste goes uncollected, and it’s unclear what goes where. And while some may see coordinated recycling systems as a luxury, schools with well-planned waste setups often unlock meaningful cost savings, from reduced landfill fees to more efficient cleaning and fewer wasted resources.

One school we visited was spending thousands a year on waste collection, with no clear understanding of what was being thrown out. Another had landfill-only bins in student areas while staff offices had recycling. When a dedicated teacher left? Progress stalls or disappears without them.

These aren’t isolated cases. They reflect a pattern: high and rising waste costs, low recycling rates, and systems that rely too much on individual champions without long-term support. What’s often missed is how much this is costing schools—from higher cleaning costs due to desk bins, to landfill fees from contamination and missed savings from recycling. Without a strategy or visibility, schools can pay more without seeing results.

What this looks like in practice:

• Inconsistent bin placement, where bins are added without a clear plan or signage, making servicing less efficient and increasing waste management costs
• Contamination that undermines efforts, increasing costs from rejected recycling loads and inefficient servicing
• Missed opportunities in cafeterias, where organic waste goes to landfill, driving up disposal costs
• Programs built around individuals, which disappear when staff move on
• Cleaning teams wasting time, servicing dozens of desk bins instead of fewer central stations

Method wants to ensure that well-intentioned efforts have the structure and support they need to succeed and last.

There's a better way

The schools we work with aren’t aiming for perfection. They want consistency, visibility, and systems that work whether a sustainability lead is present or not.

This is just one floor of a university, instead of 56 desk bins they can have:

4 Centralised Stations =

• $2160 a year saved on liners
• 72 hours or $3,200 of cleaner time saved per year
• 50 percent reduction on your waste bill per year

What works:

• Centralised sorting stations in hallways, not desk bins
• Signage that reflects the packaging used on campus
• Clear ownership of the waste system, with time and support
• Food waste solutions that match the volume being generated
• A long-term strategy built on what’s already working

Schools that take this approach cut landfill by up to 50%, reduce service costs, and create a culture where sustainability is visible and achievable.

Book a discovery call with Method with Method to explore how we can help your school recycle more and waste less.