Small Bins, Big Impact: Young Learners Join Georgia Tech's Sustainability Efforts

By Nikki Wilbanks and Megan Fulton Sustainability education at the Georgia Institute of Technology isn't limited to students, faculty, and staff. Thanks to new child-friendly waste stations at The Children’s Campus (TCC), Georgia Tech's on-campus childcare center, the Institute's youngest community members are learning how to sort waste and make environmentally conscious choices every day. The project was led by the Campus Services Sustainability team as part of a broader campus waste-standardization effort in partnership with the Office of Sustainability's Zero Waste Task Force. As campus partners evaluated waste and recycling needs across campus, they conducted walkthroughs to better understand the unique requirements of different spaces. To support its youngest learners, TCC needed waste stations that were accessible to children ages 3 to 5 while meeting Institute standards and safety requirements. The result is a set of child-friendly compost, recycling, and landfill stations that allow children to participate in sustainability efforts independently. "While the bins support Georgia Tech's waste-reduction goals, they also serve as hands-on learning tools," said Erin Getzelman, director of sustainability engagement for Campus Services. "As children learn about topics such as plants, soil, composting, and natural cycles, they can connect those concepts to real-world actions through the waste stations." By incorporating the stations into daily routines, teachers help children sort items after meals and snacks and think about where everyday materials go after they are thrown away. On July 22, a group of rising kindergarteners from TCC toured Georgia Tech's Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, the greenest building in the Southeast. During the tour, the children explored the building's sustainability features and learned how it meets the rigorous standards of the Living Building Challenge, the world's most ambitious green building certification program. The visit included stops at the solar panels, compost bins, beehives, and community garden. The children also touched reclaimed wood from major film productions in Atlanta that is now incorporated into the building's stairs and walls. By introducing sustainable habits at an early age, TCC is helping children develop an understanding of environmental stewardship while reinforcing a key message behind Georgia Tech's sustainability efforts: Building a culture of sustainability requires participation from every member of the community, regardless of age.