Schools
Thiess Services offers guided tours throughout your local waste management facilities to see where and how landfills work, how your green waste is processed and how recyclables are sorted and processed.
School Excursions
Schools are invited to visit the Thiess Services education centres at our engineered waste management facility at Swanbank near Ipswich and our Materials Recycling Facilities at Petrie on Brisbane’s northside, Somersby near Gosford on the NSW Central Coast and at Hallam in south-east Melbourne to learn more about waste and recycling.
The purpose-built education centres at each facility cater for groups of approximately 25 people at a time and are available for excursions Monday to Friday. Several sessions can be organised on one or more days to cater for larger groups. All ages are catered for and education sessions are tailored to suit the individual needs of each group.
Filbert's Place, Swanbank WMF
A visit to Filbert’s Place education centre at Swanbank WMF provides students with the opportunity to learn about the workings of one of the world’s largest fully engineered landfills, including “green’’ electricity production through the capture of methane gas.
Education sessions at the landfill have a strong activity-based focus that challenges students to think about waste minimisation, resource recovery, the history of waste and future technology. Sessions include a tour of the landfill with activities and further discussion conducted in a purpose-built centre onsite.
To organise a school excursion to Filbert’s Place email the Environmental Education Officer at
bincop@aapt.net.auor phone on 0418 212 222.
Click on the pdf link to download a flyer describing the Swanbank Waste to Energy Cycle.Materials Recycling Facilities
A visit to one of our Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) education centres provides students with a visual impact of how the materials they put in their recycling bins are sorted. The recyclable sorting process can be seen first hand through a viewing window or via live closed-circuit television footage, eliminating the need for students to be in close proximity with any operating machinery.
Visitors learn about the waste and recyclable collection and the positive impact recycling has on the environment. The students are also taught about proactive waste and recycling management practices and the consequences of placing the wrong items into recycling bins.
Education sessions at the MRF draw on a variety of tools to engage students, including mini-audits, recycling relays, triva questions and displays of recycled products. There is a definite "picture says a thousand words'' element that ensures each person who visits will leave knowing how important their role is in recycling.
To organise a school excursion at one of our facilities in Queensland or Victoria email the Environmental Education Officer at
bincop@aapt.net.au or phone on 0418 212 222.
To organise a school excursion at our MRF at Somersby contact the Education Officer on 1300 126 278.