Waste Smart Kindy
The Waste Smart Kindy program is a Brisbane City Council initiative for Brisbane kindergartens and early learning centres and services to implement waste smart practices.
The program provides early learning educators with a free professional development course and offers early learning centres or services the opportunity to become a recognised Waste Smart Kindy.
What is a 'Waste Smart Kindy'?
A 'Waste Smart Kindy' is an early learning centre or service that has demonstrated a commitment to keeping Brisbane clean, green and sustainable by reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill and increasing resource recovery through recycling and composting and other waste smart practices.
Find a list of current Waste Smart Kindy accredited early learning centres or services in Brisbane.
Professional development course for early learning educators
The Waste Smart Kindy program includes a free, online professional development (PD) course for early learning educators and carers and outside school hours care providers that work in the Brisbane local government area (LGA). Educators work at their own pace to complete the course.
On completion of all four course units, Brisbane LGA-based early learning educators are posted a Waste Smart Kindy toolkit to help implement waste smart practices in their centre or service. For more information about the toolkit contents, refer to the terms and conditions. (Note - outside school care providers are not eligible to receive the Waste Smart Kindy toolkit.)
Apply to become a Waste Smart Kindy
Early learning centres or services where 75% of staff have completed the online professional development course within the last three years should consider applying to become a Waste Smart Kindy.
Who can apply
Applications to become a Waste Smart Kindy are open to early learning centres or services that care for children from 0-4 years of age, including family day care and day care centres (including not-for-profit centres) that are located within the Brisbane local government area. For more information, read the terms and conditions.
How to apply
The Director or Manager of your early learning centre must complete the online application form and provide evidence that the requirements listed in the terms and conditions have been met.
Eligibility criteria
Before completing the online application form, check your early learning centre or service meets the eligibility criteria in the terms and conditions.
How long will the application process take?
Your early learning centre or service will be contacted within four weeks of submitting an application. If your centre or service meets the the eligibility criteria, a Council officer will make an appointment to visit your premises to complete the assessment process.
What does a Waste Smart Kindy receive?
Early learning centres or services that satisfy the application and eligibility requirements outlined in the Waste Smart Kindy terms and conditions receive a:
- an education pack of early learning resources and/or learning experience focusing on waste minimisation. The pack includes a choice of two of the following items:
- educational visit about recycling and reducing waste
- one book pack containing a selection of early learning picture books relating to waste, recycling and sustainability
- one worm farm, worm blanket, instructional sign and worm poster
- one compost bin, instructional sign and compost aerator
- one raised garden bed
- one recycling game
- two paper making kits
- the choice of one Waste Smart Kindy banner from the options available
- a certificate acknowledging the early learning centre or service as a Waste Smart Kindy
- digital assets which can be used on kindergarten's social media and/or website channels, or in e-newsletters to acknowledge and recognise the EL Centre as a Waste Smart Kindy.
The early learning centre or service will be listed as a Waste Smart Kindy on Council’s website for a period of three years.
For a full list of award options, view the terms and conditions.
Complete online application form Read terms and conditions
Waste Smart Kindy accredited early learning centres and services
- Ashgrove West Kindy, Ashgrove
- Avenues Early Learning Centre, Bowen Hills
- Avenues Early Learning Centre, Cannon Hill
- Avenues Early Learning Centre, Jindalee
- Avenues Early Learning Centre, McDowall
- Avenues Early Learning Centre, Paddington
- Avenues Early Learning Centre, Parkinson
- Avenues Early Learning Centre, Runcorn Heights
- Avenues Early Learning Centre, Sunnybank Hills
- Avenues Montessori Children's House, Bowen Hills
- Balmoral House Private Preschool
- C&K QUT Kelvin Grove Community Childcare Centre, Kelvin Grove
- C&K St Catherine's Community Kindergarten, Wishart
- Canossa Kindergarten, Coorparoo
- Centenary Christian Kindergarten, Middle Park
- Children @ Bay Terrace, Wynnum
- Eight Mile Plains Community Children's Centre, Eight Mile Plains
- Gan Gani Community Kindergarten, Fig Tree Pocket
- Guardian Childcare & Education, Coopers Plains
- Hillsong Child Care Centre, Mt Gravatt
- Kurilpa Community Child Care Centre, West End
- Lead Childcare, Tingalpa
- Little + Co Early Learning, Morningside
- Little Locals Early Learning, Auchenflower
- Marchant Park Kindergarten, Geebung
- Mater Early Learning Centre, South Brisbane
- Montessori Children's House, Auchenflower
- Pallara Childcare, Pallara
- Perfect Beginnings Early Learning Centre, Eight Mile Plains
- Prior Street Childcare and Development, Tarragindi
- Sparrow Early Learning, Stones Corner
- St John's Anglican College Little Saints Kindergarten, Forest Lake
- Staverton Kindergarten, Chelmer
- Tarragindi War Memorial Kindergarten
- The Learning Sanctuary, Morningside
- Tumble Tots, Stafford Heights (closed in 2024)
- West End Scott Street Community Kindergarten