When referring to the reality of urban centers in Brazil, the disposal of solid waste is one of the main environmental problems. Irregular disposition of solid waste can cause various environmental damages and human health. With the purpose of changing this scenario, composting emerges as an important tool in environmental education, as it promotes awareness of the separation of organic waste for composting, besides favoring healthy food and a closer contact with nature. Based on the use of active teaching methodologies and play techniques, the study aimed to promote pro-environmental behaviors, based on the principles of Environmental Education. Twenty workshops were held with the children of a basic social service, the "Home School of the Child of Maringá". The themes of the workshops were focused on awareness in waste generation, reuse, recycling and composting. First was worked with children the rule of reduce, reuse and recycle through one and informative video and play activities. It was possible to observe that this work provided a reflection on the excessive consumption and made them realize the importance of adequate separation of solid waste and recycling and how both favor the environment. Later on, fruit and vegetable tastings were carried out, in which the children tasted the food and realized the amount of organic waste that could be used in the composting, and with this information, the participants understood how to make the correct waste destination solids comprising the materials suitable for decomposition. They were surprised to learn that most of the daily food waste could be used in composting, reducing the amount of waste generated. Besides the children, there was an awareness of the cooks, who understood the importance of the separation of these residues for the composting. With the residues generated from the dynamics, a compost was prepared and, after 112 days, the organic fertilizer produced was used in the vegetable garden, where the plants are produced for their own consumption. The preparation of a small composting system in transparent plastic bottles allowed the children to observe the development of bacteria and fungi that are responsible for the decomposition of organic residues and that by bringing the mini compost home, the children spread the practice to family and neighbors. These practices experienced in childhood become a relevant tool in reorienting education in the issue of sustainable development to provide environmental awareness and ethics, values and attitudes, in order to promote behaviors that assist in the participation of individuals in decision making. In recognition of the project, the institution received the seal SESI ODS 2017. This seal is granted by the Social Service of Industry (SESI) to institutions that develop projects that propose the achievement of the Sustainable Development Objectives (ODS) recommended by the United Nations Organization (UN) in 2015. This environmental education project was framed in three of the seventeen objectives: "Health of well-being", "Quality education" and "Partnerships and means of implementation".
environmental awareness; solid waste; sustainable development; composting; recycling
2b. Educating for sustainability
