Zero Waste Academy

Under Zero Waste SG’s Circularity Education pillar, the Zero Waste Academy (ZWA) was launched on 28 March 2026 in conjunction with the International Day of Zero Waste. ZWA aims to serve as a leading platform for circularity education and waste literacy, offering programmes and learning opportunities aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Singapore’s environmental priorities.

Through tailored learning pathways and experiential programmes, ZWA makes sustainability education accessible, engaging, and action-oriented across all levels of society and every stage of life. By transforming awareness into everyday action, ZWA empowers people to adopt more conscious consumption habits, rethink waste, and become active contributors to a zero-waste society.

As resource and waste challenges continue to grow globally, ZWA nurtures future-ready individuals, strengthens community action, and inspires the collective responsibility needed to support building a more circular and resilient future for Singapore and beyond.

Zero Waste Explorers

Zero Waste Explorers is Zero Waste Academy’s flagship interactive educational programme designed for young learners aged 3 to 16 years old (from pre-schools to secondary schools) and their educators.

Structured as a three-module syllabus, the programme is designed to progressively build understanding of waste, resources, and circularity concepts. This is to ensure learning is engaging and meaningful, while building complexity according to the age groups.

At the pre-school to lower primary level (3 to 9 years old), the focus is on storytelling, play-based discovery, and hands-on activities that introduce the foundational concepts of the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) in simple, practical ways that young children can easily understand and apply both in school and at home.

At the upper primary and secondary level (10 to 16 years old), the learning approach shifts to learning journeys and ideation sessions that deepen engagement and empower students to move from awareness to problem-solving. The sessions encourage students to observe real-world systems, reflect on environmental challenges, and critically explore the link between consumption, waste generation, and resource use.

Across all modules, the programme is carefully tailored to not only impart knowledge, but to foster ownership, curiosity, and action to nurture young individuals capable of contributing meaningfully to a more circular and sustainable future.

As part of a whole-school and whole-of-society approach, Zero Waste Explorers recognises that educators play a critical role in shaping values, reinforcing behaviours, and sustaining learning beyond the three-module syllabus.

To support this, educators are provided with structured training sessions that build their foundational knowledge in waste literacy, sustainability concepts, and circular economy principles. They also receive practical toolkits and implementation resources that can be directly applied in the classroom, enabling schools to integrate zero waste practices into everyday routines with ease.

Ultimately, Zero Waste Explorers aims to go beyond awareness building. It seeks to embed circular thinking into the fabric of everyday life, shaping young minds, empowering educators, and cultivating sustainable habits from the earliest stages of learning to build a strong foundation for long-term behavioural change.

Training & Courses

The transition to a circular economy requires a workforce equipped with relevant knowledge and skills. The ZWA offers training programmes for professionals, both currently in the sustainability industry and those aspiring to enter it.

ZWA partners with leading Institutes of Higher Learning, both local and international, to deliver high-quality and accredited knowledge-based circularity training for professionals.

These courses are aimed at:

Aspiring Sustainability Professionals looking to build foundational knowledge and practical skills to break into the sustainability industry.
Mid-Career Professionals transitioning into a sustainability role from other industries.
Corporate Teams seeking to embed circular practices across their organisation.
Educators intending to bring waste literacy into their classrooms.

Symposiums, Dialogues, & Fireside Chats

Beyond formal education programmes, the Zero Waste Academy serves as a dynamic platform for discourse, dialogue, knowledge exchange, and cross-sector collaboration on circularity and sustainability.

Symposiums - Bringing together academics, practitioners, and policymakers to explore emerging circularity topics.
Community Dialogues - Facilitating conversations among stakeholders, including community leaders, the public, and NGOs.
Fireside Chats - Intimate conversations with circularity and sustainability thought leaders, sharing insights and lessons learned.

Partner With Us

The Zero Waste Academy is continuously expanding its reach and impact. If you are:

A school interested in the Zero Waste Explorers programme.
An Institution of Higher Learning keen to partner on course development.
A corporate organisation seeking training for your team.

We would love to hear from you and explore ways to collaborate and create a zero-waste future together.

Kindly reach out to us at: partnerships@zerowastesg.com