Case Fredrikstad | Waste Sorting Education in Schools and Family Festivals

Author: Anna Gyure-Szamosi, Fredrikstad municipality, Fredrikstad kommune – Forside

In Fredrikstad, one of the biggest challenges we face in waste management is pre-sorting at home. Our local waste collection companies and the FREVAR waste treatment plant have shown that much of the problem begins with a lack of proper sorting in households. To tackle this, we decided to start where real change begins — with children.

Read our best practices for replication:

Bringing Waste Sorting Education to Schools

We launched an engaging school outreach program designed to teach elementary school children the importance of proper waste sorting. Our goal was to give them the knowledge — and the confidence — to bring sustainable habits home and inspire their families. Children’s natural enthusiasm for learning and sharing new ideas makes them powerful ambassadors for sustainability within their households.

Active Collaboration

This program was a joint effort between Fredrikstad Municipality, the municipal waste collection department, and FREVAR KF. Together, we developed all training materials, combining existing educational resources with fresh, creative content and interactive tools.

Learning by Doing

In the spring and fall of 2024 and 2025, we visited 36 classes across 19 schools, reaching around 830 fourth-grade students (about nine years old). The lessons were integrated into existing sustainability classes, supporting teachers rather than adding extra workload.

Each session featured a colorful presentation about waste sorting, recycling, reuse, food and organic waste, biogas, plastic pollution, and general sustainability. Afterward, students tested their new knowledge through an interactive waste-sorting activity and quiz. Every child received a “Waste Sorting Champion” diploma to take home and show their families — a simple but effective way to spread awareness beyond the classroom. We also provided each class with a bright poster of sorting rules, to serve as a daily reminder in their classroom. 

Storybook and MASCOT

Thanks to the Treasource project, we created a fun and educational storybook where children learn about waste collection through the adventures of Trygve the Fox. Deep in the forest, Trygve’s best friend, Anna the Hedgehog, gets hurt by litter left behind by humans. Determined to protect their home, Trygve sets out to clean up the forest and teach everyone how to care for nature.

We hand out the storybook to children during our school visits — and now, Trygve has come to life as a friendly mascot who joins us at events! The kids absolutely love meeting him, and his cheerful presence helps us bring waste-sorting education to kindergarten groups too.

Our vision is to make Trygve the Fox a symbol of circular thinking — so that every child in Fredrikstad recognizes him as a reminder of how important waste sorting and sustainability are for our planet.

Positive Feedback and Lasting Impact

The feedback from schools and teachers was overwhelmingly positive. They reported that students not only learned valuable lessons about waste sorting but also stayed highly engaged throughout the sessions. Many teachers shared that they, too, learned new things about sustainability, underlining the program’s double benefit — educating both students and educators.

Teachers also acknowledged that they often lack the time and expertise to teach these topics in depth and welcomed the municipality’s initiative to fill that gap.

Reaching Families Beyond the Classroom

To expand our impact, we brought the same waste-sorting activities to Fredrikstad’s largest family festivals — World Children’s Day (Barnas Verdensdag) and the Lisleby Culture Festival in 2024 and 2025. These lively community events attract hundreds of children and families, offering a fantastic opportunity to share key sustainability messages with a broad audience.

Through this initiative, we’re not only improving waste sorting habits in Fredrikstad — we’re empowering a new generation of young sustainability champions to make a difference at home and in their community.