Recycling in Schools
Setting up recycling in your school is a matter of organization and commitment. Take the initiative and get a program started for your school and your kids.
CalRecycle's School District Project Diversion Report , Waste Prevention Guide, Sample Campus Environmental Audits and District-Wide Approach to Recycling can help get you started.
California school waste characterization and searchable district waste stream profiles demonstrate that most school material is paper, organics and plastic.
San Mateo County Recycleworks offers an online school waste audit kit
Seven Tips for Starting a Recycling Program
- Perform a waste assessment. What is a waste assessment? It's a survey of what recyclable materials are discarded and where. Take a stroll through your school and record what types of waste are discarded in each area. This walk-through lets you figure out what containers you'll need. Here are typical materials that be recovered from different areas in most schools:
- Classrooms - mixed paper, newspaper, glass, metal and plastic containers
- Library - newspaper, magazines, mixed paper, books
- Administrative offices - office paper, mixed paper, cardboard, cans, bottles, toner cartridges
- Food service areas - glass, metal, cans, plastic containers, cardboard (food waste can be separated and composted; grease and oil may be converted into biodiesel)
- Outdoor & Public areas - newspaper, magazines, bottles, cans
- Setup Recycling Containers. Based on the results of the waste assessment, put recycling containers for each material in each area. To begin, you might want to focus your efforts where you have found the most waste.
- Label Your Containers. Location and good labeling are critical to every recycling program. Be sure that containers are well-marked. For public areas, you might want to consider special containers that indicate the type of recyclable with a hole or a slot. This will reinforce the goals of your program and reduce contamination (mixing) of recyclables.
- Organize Collection. Once you know what will be collected and where, get your custodial staff and groundskeepers involved. Have a meeting to explain to them the importance of recycling and to answer their questions. Show them where to locate new containers, how to collect waste separately, and where to take separated materials.
- Publicize Your Project. Once your container, labels, and collection procedures are in place, communicate your program to students and employees. You might consider a kick-off party for teachers and administration. For students, consider talking to each classroom or homeroom. You might also consider an assembly. But one presentation is not enough. Be sure to reinforce the goals, principles, and procedures of your program. This will ensure that your procedures are being followed, will help people remain interested, and provide a forum for questions and new solutions. You can also put information or notices in e-mail, on the school's web site, or in the school newspaper.
- Monitor Your Results. Create a system for keeping track of the amount of materials your program collects. This will help you know you're receiving proper compensation for your materials and will help you take appropriate action if volumes decrease. Be sure to get your custodial staff involved in this process, and develop a feedback system so that they can let you know where contamination is a problem.
- Make Recycling Part of Orientation. Include recycling information in your orientation for new employees and new students.
Setting Up a School Recycling and Waste Reduction Program
Planning a successful recycling program:
|
|
1. |
Obtain top-level support from the school administration, your school district's operation and maintenance staff and your schools custodial staff. Discuss how the program can reduce costs for the school by lowering their disposal costs. |
|
|
2. |
Appoint a recycling coordinator, teacher, class or club to implement your program. The best teams have students, teachers, principals, administration and parents who are willing to help. |
|
|
3. |
Conduct a waste audit to determine waste composition and volume of materials, what portion can be recycled, re–used, reduced, or eliminated and what recyclable material could be substituted for non–recyclable materials currently in use. Ask your hauler if they will pickup your recycling or check the RecycleWorks Database for companies to provide that service. |
|
|
4. |
As a team, define your goals and ensure that each member has a role. |
|
|
5. |
It is a good idea to choose one or two recyclables to start your new program (i.e. cardboard and mixed paper). Once your program is functioning smoothly, expand your program to include more recyclable materials. Focusing on recycling one commodity at a time allows you to work out the difficulties that may arise with contractual, collection, sorting and educational components. |
|
|
a. |
Team members can choose the right type of collection container such as restricted openings or slots for paper to keep the garbage out of the recyclables. |
|
|
b. |
The team will need to determine where containers should be placed on your school sites based upon what the audit has determined. Recycling bins need to have trash receptacles next to them or your recycling containers may be used for garbage. |
|
|
c. |
The recycle team will empty the collection containers bins into larger containers on site so the recycling company can pick them up. Develop this collection system with your school custodial staff. If this part of the program is not managed correctly, recyclables can find their way back into the garbage receptacles. |
|
|
d. |
The team can create signs or contact local businesses as corporate sponsors and alert the local media of the program. Consider holding a kick–off event at your school site and perhaps tracking and graphing your recycling success to share with your students every month. |
|
|
e. |
Based on the waste audit, the team may suggest revising existing procurement policies. They may request replacing non–recyclable items with ones that can be recycled or re–used. The team can educate students and staff through in class presentations or a school–wide assembly. Make sure to include school custodians in your education program |
|
|
f. |
Some schools collect the can and bottle (CA Redemption) containers, bring them to a local recycler and use the proceeds to purchase recycling containers, fund field trips, and or have an end–of–the–year pizza party for the recycling team. |
As a result of your new recycling program you will find that recyclables are being diverted from the waste stream and you are helping to keep valuable natural resources from ending up in a landfill. You may find that your school is now able to reduce the size or quantity of the waste collection dumpsters or to lower the frequency that garbage is picked–up at your school site. Not only will you save money for your school, you will be educating the next generation on the value of caring for our community and environment.
