What do PVC pipe off-cuts, old stage props and paddle pop sticks have in common?

Some might say they’re junk, but to others – like educators and curious early learners – these supplies are loose parts play treasure.

They’re also just a few of the items you may find at Reverse Garbage, a creative reuse centre on the land of the Wangal and Gadigal peoples in Sydney’s Inner West.

Education by educators

Launched in 1975 by a group of teachers and community workers, Reverse Garbage’s mission is to rescue, reuse and reimagine discarded resources – and encourage others to do the same.

The non-profit organisation achieves this by diverting industrial and commercial waste from landfill to its warehouse, where educators – among others – can find supplies and inspiration. It also delivers sustainability education to educators, early learners and schools.

Tips on creative reuse for the environment and learning

Reverse Garbage saves approximately 248,000 kilograms of waste from landfill annually. By using their tips on reusing waste for loose parts, you too can promote the importance of sustainability, while exploring the possibilities of open-ended play.

Get creative when sourcing materials

Invite families and your local community to support your service’s sustainability journey and children’s learning by seeking loose part donations, suggested Yasmin Andrew, Reverse Garbage’s Education Programs Manager. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Reach out to local businesses (such as tradespeople, local industry, and DIY, hobby or craft stores) and ask if they have any leftover or discarded materials or supplies to donate.

• Browse local ‘buy nothing’ groups or op shops for free or inexpensive products and materials to add to your loose parts collection.

• Create opportunities and spaces for families to donate unused open-ended resources like tennis balls, bottle tops and cardboard boxes.

Within or around your service, consider:

• how objects at your service can be reused, recontextualised and expanded upon – look to children’s interests for inspiration

• what you can rescue from your recycling, such as cardboard tubes, clean yoghurt pots or delivery boxes

• whether there are any loose parts children can collect outdoors and use in creative, environmentally conscious ways.

Identify and manage risks effectively

Reflecting as a team on the potential risks or hazards of reusing materials for play and how to manage these risks is key to using them safely, shared Yasmin. Involve children in the risk management process in age-appropriate ways. You can create valuable learning opportunities as children assess risk, problem solve and make informed decisions about their safety.

When updating risk assessments and procedures, ask children to share their thoughts and ideas on what can be done differently to support everyone’s safety and learning. Before intervening in children's loose part play, take a moment to assess if they’re already managing risks in their own way.

Read our article on harm and hazards in the physical environment for further guidance on managing risks in your service.

Take your time when choosing, checking and introducing items

When selecting loose parts, make sure they’re safe, clean and age appropriate. For children 0 to 5 years, avoid materials that are sharp, pose a choking hazard or could pinch or entrap fingers or other body parts.

Check your loose part supplies regularly to make sure they’re in good condition and safe to use. Add these checks to your maintenance and safety checklists, and ensure staff understand what to do when potential hazards arise.

Introduce new materials slowly into your learning environment, Yasmin recommended. For example, you might start with promotion banners or stretchy elastics before adding objects like milk crates and spools, which pose more of a fall risk.

Allow children to be the pilots of their play

As Yasmin explained, posing open-ended questions or sharing visual provocations "allows space for children to explore their own ideas around a central concept, but provides a launch pad".

“Don’t get over-involved,” Kirsten Junor, CEO of Reverse Garbage, added. “What that does is interfere with a child’s ability to explore their own imagination and creativity.

“Instead, focus on what that child is doing, the experience they’re having and how they’re making sense of the world.”

As role models, it’s important the children see you using the loose parts, too. When you join their play, tell stories in large group learning experiences and set up learning environments.

Encourage children to take responsibility for the reused materials by packing them away in a designated area.

Extend children’s learning

“A lot of materials we use at Reverse Garbage won’t last, and that's another conversation we have with educators and children,” explained Kirsten.

“These cardboard tubes are fun but they will breakdown,” Kirsten shared as an example. “So, what do we do with them now? Do they go to the worms? Can we put them in the garden? Should we put them in recycling?”

Discussing the origin and original purpose of reused materials may also encourage children to engage in further inquiry.

These learning opportunities support children to take an active role in caring for the environment and use sustainable practices at home, in their community and beyond.

Read more

• Loose Parts and Risky Play: Low-Cost and sustainable ways to enhance the physical environment

• Exploring the 3 dimensions of sustainability in ECEC

• Promoting children’s learning and development through their environment and play