Sustainability Issue: Recycling Plastic
Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time, with significant consequences for ecosystems, wildlife, and human populations. Each year, over eight million tonnes of plastic enter the world’s oceans, leading to catastrophic outcomes for marine biodiversity and ultimately affecting the human food chain (Everett et al., 2009). In regions that experience seasonal population increases due to tourism, such as coastal holiday destinations, the problem is exacerbated. The influx of visitors results in increased consumption and disposal of single-use plastics, placing further strain on waste management systems. As future stewards of the planet, it is imperative that primary school students understand their role in addressing this issue through education for sustainability.
Recycling plastic provides a practical and impactful entry point for children to explore broader environmental concerns. It offers a tangible way for them to connect with the consequences of consumer behaviour while learning about responsibility, community participation, and global citizenship. By introducing this topic within the primary curriculum, students can build environmental literacy and begin developing lifelong sustainable practices (Taylor et al., n.d.).
The cross-curricular potential of recycling as a sustainability theme is considerable. It aligns with the Australian Curriculum cross-curriculum priority of Sustainability, which encourages students to develop the knowledge, skills, values, and worldviews necessary to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable patterns of living (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], n.d.-a). By focusing on real-world issues such as plastic pollution, students become engaged, active citizens capable of advocating for change.
Rationale for Choosing the Topic
The decision to focus on recycling plastic in this unit is grounded in both environmental urgency and pedagogical value. Young learners are naturally curious and motivated by issues that affect their immediate surroundings. When students see plastic waste in their parks, beaches, or playgrounds, they are more likely to engage in inquiry and problem-solving activities related to those observations (Dinham & Chalk, 2022). Furthermore, this topic supports the development of critical and creative thinking skills, ethical understanding, and intercultural awareness—general capabilities outlined in the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, n.d.-b).
From a teaching and learning perspective, this topic also presents opportunities for interdisciplinary integration. Through visual and media arts, students can express their understanding of plastic waste and communicate sustainability messages to their communities. These creative processes allow for emotional engagement and deeper connection to the issues, which is essential in building personal responsibility and action (Everett et al., 2009; Dinham & Chalk, 2022).
Inquiry Questions for Student Learning
To support student-centred learning and foster deep understanding, a series of inquiry questions has been developed. These questions will scaffold learning and guide students through the complexities of plastic recycling and its broader environmental implications.
What happens to plastic after it is thrown away?
This question encourages exploration of waste management systems and raises awareness about landfill, recycling facilities, and ocean pollution.
Why do we need to recycle plastic?
Students will investigate the benefits of recycling in terms of resource conservation, pollution reduction, and sustainability.
What types of plastics can be recycled, and which cannot?
By identifying recyclable and non-recyclable plastics, students can apply knowledge in real-life contexts such as home or school waste sorting.
How can we reduce plastic waste in our daily lives?
Students will explore practical solutions and alternatives to plastic use, building skills for personal and community change.
Mind Map for Inquiry-Based Learning: "Recycling Plastic"
What is the difference between recycling plastic and reusing plastic?
This question develops students' understanding of sustainable practices and circular economy principles.
How does plastic pollution affect wildlife and ecosystems?
By examining the impact on animals and their habitats, students foster empathy and ecological awareness.
What can we do at school and in our communities to reduce plastic waste?
This action-oriented question promotes civic engagement and the design of student-led sustainability projects.
Who is responsible for recycling plastic, and how can we encourage others to participate?
This question introduces the concept of shared responsibility and encourages students to consider advocacy and education roles.
Part 2: Explore the ‘Big Idea’ in and through the Arts
As Audience / Responding
Artwork 1: Alejandro Durán – Washed Up
Medium: Environmental installation / photography
Alejandro Durán is a Mexican-American artist whose work really stood out to me because of the powerful message it sends about plastic pollution. His project Washed Up involves collecting plastic waste that has washed up on the shores of Sian Ka’an, a protected area in Mexico, and arranging it into colourful, carefully composed installations in the natural landscape. What’s particularly striking is that the plastic comes from over 50 different countries, showing just how global this issue is. Durán turns these bits of rubbish—things we might normally ignore or throw away—into artworks that are visually beautiful but also deeply confronting. His installations are then photographed, combining sculpture with environmental photography in a way that highlights both the beauty of nature and the damage caused by human consumption.
What I found especially engaging about Durán’s work is the emotional contrast it creates. On one hand, the colours and composition are really captivating, but on the other, you’re aware that you’re looking at pollution. It forces you to think about the long-lasting impact of our habits, especially around single-use plastics. I chose this piece because I think it connects really well to sustainability education. It invites students to think critically about their own behaviours and to explore how art can be used to make a statement about environmental issues. According to Everett, Noone, Brooks, and Littledyke (2009), the arts are a powerful way for young people to express ideas and engage with sustainability topics in meaningful ways. Durán’s work provides a great example of how waste can be transformed into a message that’s not only creative but also educational.
Artwork 2: Maria Cristina Finucci – The Garbage Patch State
Medium: Multimedia installation / performance art
Maria Cristina Finucci’s Garbage Patch State is another artwork I found really inspiring. It’s a conceptual and multimedia project that raises awareness of the huge garbage patches floating in our oceans. Finucci created a fictional country—the Garbage Patch State—made up entirely of these patches, and she uses large-scale installations, such as domes filled with plastic waste and giant letters spelling out “HELP,” to get people thinking about the issue. What I like about her work is that it’s not just visual—it’s performative and symbolic. By treating the garbage patch like a real nation, she’s making a powerful point about how serious and widespread ocean pollution is.
I chose Finucci’s work because it combines art, environmental science, and activism in a really creative way. Her installations are public and often quite dramatic, which makes them hard to ignore. This kind of art encourages people to stop, think, and hopefully change their behaviours. For students, this work can open up discussions about global responsibility and the role we all play in protecting the environment. As Dinham and Chalk (2022) explain, art can be an effective platform for young people to engage with big issues and take action in their communities. Finucci’s work shows how art isn’t just about self-expression—it can also be a tool for social change, which is a message I think is really valuable to bring into the classroom.
As Artist / Making
“Message in a Bottle”
Medium: Visual art + short written message
Creative Process & Artwork Documentation
For my creative response, I decided to make a simple artwork called Message in a Bottle using an empty plastic bottle, paper, string, and a marker. The idea was to show how plastic waste carries an urgent message about the environment. I used an empty water bottle from my recycling bin and created a scroll message to go inside it. On the scroll, I wrote the phrase: “This plastic will outlive us—what will you do?” I also added a small drawing of the Earth and a sad face to represent the impact of pollution.
I started by cleaning the bottle and removing the label. Then I cut a small piece of scrap paper and wrote my message with black marker. I rolled the paper up tightly and tied it with a piece of string. I placed the scroll inside the bottle and closed the cap. To make the outside more interesting, I tied a ribbon made from an old plastic bag around the neck of the bottle and added a few more scraps of coloured plastic to decorate it.
Next, I placed the bottle in a small garden area and took a photo of it lying in the grass. I wanted it to look like the bottle had been thrown away carelessly, but the message inside gives it meaning. I also filmed a short 10-second video where I slowly zoom in on the bottle while someone reads the message aloud. This simple audio/visual element helped me turn it into a hybrid artwork with a stronger impact.
Throughout the process, I realised how easy it is to turn rubbish into something meaningful. At first, I thought it would be too basic, but as I worked on it, I found ways to make it personal and powerful. I liked how the idea of a “message in a bottle” connects to real-life ocean pollution, where plastic waste travels across the world. It also connects to how people have been sending messages for help through bottles for centuries—this felt like my way of doing that, but for the environment.
This was a very easy project to complete and didn’t need any special materials. It could definitely be done in a classroom setting with students using bottles from their own recycling and writing their own environmental messages. It’s simple but can lead to deep conversations about the impact of plastic and what we want future generations to hear from us.
Artist’s Statement
Message in a Bottle is a small and simple artwork with a big message. I used an empty plastic bottle and placed a scroll inside with a short handwritten note: “This plastic will outlive us—what will you do?” This message is meant to make people stop and think about how long plastic lasts in the environment and how our everyday actions can have long-term effects.
I was inspired by the idea of sending messages in bottles as a way of asking for help. In this case, the planet is asking for help. By using a real plastic bottle, the message becomes more meaningful because it shows how something we throw away so easily can be used to communicate an important problem. I added a small photo and a short video to show the bottle in nature, looking like litter but holding something worth noticing.
My goal was to keep this artwork simple and accessible. I wanted to show that anyone—especially students—can make something that shares a powerful message without needing fancy materials or art skills. It’s the idea and the message that matter most. This also links to sustainability, because I reused materials I already had at home, which is something we encourage students to do when thinking about the environment.
This piece could be used as a class project where each student creates their own “message in a bottle” and shares their thoughts about pollution, climate change, or caring for the Earth. It gives them a creative way to express their voice while learning about environmental issues. My hope is that this small artwork makes people reflect on their role in helping the planet and inspires them to think twice before throwing something away.
Part 3: Development for Primary Students
This inquiry into plastic pollution and sustainability, combined with artistic exploration, is ideally suited for students in Year 5–6. At this stage, students can critically reflect on real-world issues and begin to express complex ideas through the arts and inquiry-based learning. The integration of Humanities and the Arts creates space for interdisciplinary thinking, fostering both environmental awareness and creative problem-solving.
Meeting the Curriculum: HASS and The Arts
In Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), students explore the impact of human actions on the environment and investigate sustainable practices (ACARA, n.d.-c). This unit addresses the Sustainability cross-curriculum priority by focusing on waste reduction and recycling. Students are guided to critically evaluate how plastics affect ecosystems and communities, and to consider solutions. These ideas are investigated through inquiry questions developed in Part 1, such as “How does plastic pollution impact our environment and how can we make a difference through art?”
In The Arts, the unit supports the two key strands: Making and Responding. Students examine the works of Durán and Finucci as audiences, developing visual literacy and evaluative skills, whilst also considering local artists and their perspectives on these environmental issues and the impact it is having on our communities. As artists, they plan and create original artworks using recycled plastics, expressing their understanding of the issue and proposing a message. This aligns with the Visual Arts content descriptors for Year 5/6: ‘Explore ideas and practices used by artists, including practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, to represent different views, beliefs and opinions’ (ACAVAM114 - Scootle ) and "Explain how visual arts conventions communicate meaning by comparing artworks from different social, cultural and historical contexts" (ACAVAR117) (ACARA, n.d.-a).
Developing General Capabilities
This unit builds the Critical and Creative Thinking capability by encouraging students to analyse sustainability issues and communicate solutions through symbolic and aesthetic means. The Ethical Understanding capability is addressed as students reflect on their responsibilities as global citizens. Additionally, by creating and exhibiting their artworks digitally using platforms like Wix, students develop ICT capabilities, preparing them to communicate effectively in a multimodal world.
Cross-Curriculum Priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
To strengthen cultural understanding and connect with Indigenous perspectives, the unit includes discussions around traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sustainable practices, such as minimal waste and caring for Country. Students could explore Indigenous art that embodies these values and reflect on how cultural stories and symbols are used to promote harmony with the environment. By doing so, students appreciate that sustainability is not a new concept but one that has been practiced for thousands of years (Tudball, Durband, & Gilbert, 2024). This aligns with the CCP’s organising idea that “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain special connections to and responsibility for Country/Place” (ACARA, n.d.-d).
Conclusion
By combining inquiry in HASS with expressive arts learning, this unit offers a rich, transformative learning experience for upper primary students. It empowers them to engage critically with environmental issues, express their values through creativity, and take meaningful steps toward sustainable futures. As Dinham and Chalk (2022) suggest, the arts are a vital space for “being, belonging, and becoming”—and sustainability education through art is an opportunity for all three.
Assessment Task 2 –
Big Idea: Recycling Plastic
Selected Artefact: Ocean Sole (Kenya)
Ocean Sole is a social enterprise based in Kenya that transforms discarded flip-flops from the ocean and waterways into vibrant, hand-crafted sculptures. These recycled sculptures take the form of animals and ocean creatures, serving as both environmental commentary and artistic expression. The artefacts created by Ocean Sole are ideal educational resources because they represent a meaningful convergence of sustainability, creativity, and global citizenship.
Choosing Ocean Sole allows students to connect the global issue of plastic pollution with tangible artistic responses. Artefacts like the flip-flop sculptures not only demonstrate reuse and recycling in action but also highlight how creative expression can raise awareness and create social change. This links powerfully to the concept of “art as activism,” previously explored in Assessment Task 1 through the work of Alejandro Durán and Maria Cristina Finucci. It allows students to view the environment not only as a problem to be solved but as a space for imaginative transformation and advocacy.
Through engaging with Ocean Sole, students explore how art can emerge from waste, how environmental messages can be embedded in artistic forms, and how global communities are responding to plastic pollution. Dinham and Chalk (2022) highlight that involving children in artmaking that reflects their world fosters active engagement and critical thinking. Sinclair (2017) also argues that creative arts education should be informed by the real world, encouraging students to respond to authentic issues that matter to them. The use of real artefacts from Ocean Sole provides rich sensory and cognitive entry points into the learning experience and can prompt emotional, ethical, and imaginative engagement.
Wendy Boyd and Lexi Cutcher (2022) emphasise the value of multimodal and process-oriented learning in the arts, particularly when students are invited to construct meaning through personal and collaborative making. This supports varied learning styles and enables differentiated pathways for expression. Similarly, Everett et al. (2009) stress that sustainability education should connect local and global concerns while supporting children’s capacity to act. Ocean Sole perfectly facilitates this goal, promoting a global understanding of sustainability and inviting students to consider how they might turn waste into something beautiful and meaningful themselves.
Jenkins (n.d.) argues that integrating sustainability into education should involve experiential and interdisciplinary strategies that foster hope and agency. Ocean Sole models this through its transformative mission: reclaiming waste, supporting local economies, and advocating for ocean conservation—all through art. These artefacts provide students with a story that is not just about damage, but about hope, resilience, and creative problem-solving. It enables children to see themselves not just as learners, but as artists and change-makers.
Noble (n.d.) emphasises the importance of embedding education for sustainability (EfS) across the Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), highlighting that real-world contexts such as plastic pollution are ideal for fostering deep understanding of systems and responsible citizenship. This aligns with the curriculum’s emphasis on intercultural understanding and ethical decision-making, which are intrinsic to Ocean Sole’s narrative.
Daniel and Hirsch (2019-2020) note that climate change and environmental issues require educators to build students’ scientific literacy alongside critical thinking about social and ethical implications. Ocean Sole’s artistic approach provides a novel pathway for students to engage emotionally and cognitively with sustainability challenges, thereby strengthening their capacity to advocate for environmental stewardship.
Overall, Ocean Sole’s artefacts offer rich opportunities to meet the Australian Curriculum’s Version 9 cross-curriculum priority of Sustainability. They enable students to explore interconnectedness between human activity, environmental impact, and creative responses, supporting the development of knowledge, skills, and values needed for informed action.