Educating The Next Generation on Recycling, One Fieldtrip at a Time

Recycling may seem like a small task, but it has a mighty impact on our environment. It’s a topic that Rongotea School’s classes are focusing on this term. Manawatū District Council and Smart Environmental were proud to support the School with a VIP tour of the Manawatū Resource Recovery Centre and the Manawatū Wastewater Treatment Plant in Feilding.

At the Manawatū Resource Recovery Centre, students viewed the machines (and team) that separate the recycling, the compressing machines and most excitingly, the rubbish truck dumping rubbish! Recycling facts compared the amount of glass recycled in 2024 to the weight of more than a thousand elephants, helping to give students a relatable perspective! The compressed bales caught the student's attention, each varying in weight: mixed plastics at 300 kg, aluminum at 200 kg, and tins weighing a whopping 500 kg! The students were fascinated to learn how these bales are collected weekly before making their journey down to Wellington to begin their next product lifecycle.

The Manawatū Wastewater Treatment Plant tour switched up the smell as students began where untreated wastewater is received. A big plastic bag showcased large items that were removed from the wastewater before filtration begins, and the students saw this firsthand – walking along the filtration bays before investigating the top of the ponds. The plant currently processes wastewater from Feilding and Sanson, and as part of the water centralisation project, Rongotea is next to be connected to the plant. It was a timely visit for the Rongotea locals!

Educating the next generation about recycling and conserving our resources is something we can all support. Manawatū District Council is proud to support our local school’s recycling education, empowering students to bring these lessons home and share their tips and tricks with their households. The win of the day was from one student who said the tour inspired ideas for their end-of-topic project, with a big smile on their face.