Rural Recycling Success Presentation

Tips for
Rural School
Waste Reduction &
Recycling Success
Athena Lee Bradley athena@nerc.org 802-254-3636
Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.
www.nerc.org

Acknowledgements

The Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.
(NERC) was awarded a United States
Department of Agriculture Rural Utility
Services Solid Waste Management Grant in
2009 to provide direct technical assistance &
training in waste reduction, recycling, and
composting to rural schools in
Connecticut, New York, and Delaware. Eight
schools participated in the project over the
course of two years.

Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. © September 2011 www.nerc.org

Disclaimer

This material is based upon work supported
under a grant by the Utilities
Programs, United States Department of
Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, and
conclusions or recommendations expressed
in this material are solely the responsibility
of the authors and do not necessarily
represent the official view of the Utilities
Programs.


NERC Resources for Schools
This presentation is designed as a supplement to a companion
document—NERC’s Rural School Recycling Success
(http://www.nerc.org/documents/rural_school_recycling.pdf).

Many school waste reduction, recycling, & composting
documents were developed by NERC as part of this project.

Presentations & Tip Sheets are available for download at
http://www.nerc.org/documents/index.html#SchoolWaste.

These documents include detailed information &
resources to support school source
reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting
efforts.


Recycling –
General Information


Why Recycle?
 Between 60-85% of school waste can be
recycled or composted
 Recycling can lead to avoided waste
disposal costs
 Recycling offers opportunities for
interdisciplinary studies, service learning
projects
 Reduced purchasing costs through
reduction & reuse

Why Recycle, cont'd
 Recycling creates local & regional jobs
 Recycling conserves resources
 Made into new products – from soda
bottles to fleece jackets
 Recycling uses less energy than virgin
materials
 Burning less fossil fuels = less greenhouse
gases
 Fewer greenhouse gases = avoiding
contributions to climate change

New Products Made from
Recycled Materials
Plastic Glass

Metals

Paper


Unique Obstacles to Rural
Recycling

 Collection service options may be
limited
 May be challenging to implement cost
effective recycling collection due to
lower volumes of recyclables


Getting Started –
Waste Reduction & Recycling


Step One: Form a Team
 Conduct a survey of faculty & staff
 Ask for interest, ideas, suggestions, &
committee volunteers
 Find out who supports waste reduction
& recycling
 Find out who is willing to make the time
& commitment
 Get permission from school
principal/District Superintendent


Form a Team, cont'd
 Include representatives from:
 Administration
 Faculty
 Custodial staff
 Cafeteria staff
 Parents
 Students
 Appoint coordinator or committee chair

Tips
 If implementing a team for a school
district or multiple schools, include
representatives from each school
 Look for ways to involve students in the
recycling program
 Appropriate participation based upon grade
level
 Fosters greater participation & success


Step Two: Conduct a Waste
Assessment

 Identify materials to be targeted for
reduction, reuse, recycling, composting
 Types & amounts of waste
 Where the waste is generated
 Identify locations for recycling containers
 Review current recycling & waste
reduction efforts

School Waste Assessment Form
Name of School: Key Contact: Date:

Direct Phone number/extension: Email:
Number of students in the school: Grade levels:

Number of teachers:

Number of teacher/staff work areas & break rooms:

Number of administrators & other staff:

Cafeteria: Has a kitchen? Yes No

Concession St&? Yes No

Vending Machines - How many & where are they located?
Location 1:
Number: Aluminum cans Plastic bottles Milk cartons Other
Location 2:
Location 3:

Are special or hazardous wastes produced by the school? (Such as in the Art rooms, Ceramics Lab, Jewelry Making Shop, Wood Shop, Automotive Shop, Photography Lab, Vocational Labs,
etc.) Yes No
If yes, see page 8.

Custodial service Key Contact: Direct Phone:
Email:

In-house Contracted

Download the form from NERC’s Website -
Frequency of in-school waste collection: Daily Every other day Weekly Other:

Waste Hauler:
Email:
www.nerc.org/documents/school_waste_assessment_form.doc
Key Contact: Phone:

In-house Municipal service Contracted/Private hauler


What to Recycle


Paper
 All clean school paper is recyclable
 Copier paper
 Writing paper
 Colored paper
 Junk mail
 Newspapers & magazines

 Do not recycle
 Paper with glue, paint, stickers, glitter on it
 Tissues
 Paper towels


Cardboard
 Develop a collection & storage system
 Where is it generated?
 Who will be responsible for breaking it
down?
 Where can it be stored?
 Cardboard can be stacked & stored in an
outside shed or on pallets under plastic
 Must be kept clean & dry
 Flatten to conserve space
 Remove excess tape

Cardboard, cont'd
 If a recycling hauler collects school
paper, likely will also take cardboard
 Sometimes cardboard & school paper can be
stored together
 Often an outside cardboard dumpster will be
provided by hauler
 Cardboard is usually accepted at
recycling centers or transfer stations


Plastic Bottles
 Typically only plastics #1 (soda/water bottles) &
#2 (milk containers) are recyclable
 Check with hauler & local recycling center to
see if other plastics or aseptic containers are
accepted
 Empty bottles of all liquid
 Bottles do not need to be rinsed
 Labels are okay
 Caps are okay
 Most likely plastic bottles will need to be taken to
a recycling center
 Consider separating redeemable containers from
non-redeemable for fundraising

Steel & Beverage Cans
 Rinse to remove food
 Labels are okay
 Consider rinsing at end of cafeteria kitchen cleanup
in available sink water to conserve water, or wash
in less-than-full dishwasher
 Flatten cans
 Nest cans to save space
 Cans may need to be taken by school or
volunteer to local recycling center
 Check with hauler first to see if will accept for
recycling


Glass Containers
 Rinse to remove food
 Remove plastic & metal caps
 Labels are okay
 Only beverage & food containers are
recyclable
 No ceramic or Pyrex glass, drinking
glasses, plates, windows, or other types of glass are
acceptable

 Glass will likely need to be taken by school
or volunteer to a local recycling center


Step Three: Goals, Work
Plan, Action Steps
 Set a waste reduction goal that is
achievable in the school year
 Develop a work plan that includes
―action steps‖ to meet the goal
 Tasks that need to be done
 Who will perform the tasks
 Timeline to accomplish the tasks
 Obtain support for the plan from
school administration

Goals, Work Plan, Action
Steps, cont'd
 Start small—one or two materials
 Mixed paper & cardboard
 Redeemable beverage containers
 Implement in phases for easy
modification
 Hold a ―desk & locker‖ clean-out
day


Goals, Work Plan, Action
Steps, cont'd
 Consider simple, low cost waste
reduction & reuse programs
 Expand an existing recycling
program by adding at least one
material
 Conduct an outreach campaign to
promote newly added material


Work Plan Sample
Goal: Expand recycling at school by adding beverage
container recycling.
Strategy: Conduct school-wide education & promotional
campaign about beverage container recycling project.
Tasks:
• Committee members will investigate options for obtaining
collection containers for the cafeteria & hallways & decide
on a collection system.
• Develop outreach & promotional materials for the
recycling project.
• Record tonnages recycled; evaluation & recommendations
for program continuation.


Work Plan Sample, cont'd
Timeline: November - February
Measures of Success:
• Placement of beverage container recycling
bins & development of collection plan.
• Amount of materials collected, measured by
actual weights of materials or recorded
volumes of materials.
• Documented reporting of any problems &
recommendations for continuing the collection
next school year.


Examples of Work Plans can be
found in Case Studies on the
NERC Website.
http://www.nerc.org/documents/
index.html#SchoolWaste


Develop a Budget
 Recycling bins
 Cardboard boxes
 Solicit bin contributions from town or
businesses
 Staff & teacher time
 Promotion (signage, fliers)
 Hauling charges

Cost Efficiencies

 Develop partnerships with
businesses, PTO, & the community
 Collect redeemable beverage containers
 Consider recycling fundraisers, such as
cell phones & printer cartridges
 Hold community collections – beverage
containers, cell phones, etc.


Cost Efficiencies, cont'd

 Review existing hauler contracts
 Maintain accurate recycling records
 Ensure waste disposal contract is
based on actual volumes disposed
 Monitor waste disposal once recycling
is implemented


Tip

Discuss with school administration
how waste reduction & recycling
can reduce disposal costs for the
school.


Step Four: Consider Waste
Reduction & Reuse

Paper Use Reduction Campaign
 Adopt a school ―Paper Use
Reduction‖ goal & policy that
promotes use of electronic media
 Send notices home to parents via email
 Use email for in-school communications
 Set up a file-share system on the
school Website


Paper Use Reduction
Campaign, cont'd
 Double-sided copying
 Train staff about double-sided
copying/printing
 Post signage about recycling & double-sided
printing next to all printers/copiers
 Set double-sided copying/printing as default
setting
 Reuse boxes
 In all classrooms, next to printers & copiers


Reduction & Reuse, cont'd

Cafeteria Food Waste Reduction
 Zero waste lunches
 ―Offer Versus Serve‖
 Allow students to decline items they
do not want
o Acceptable under USDA national
school lunch & breakfast programs


Reduction & Reuse, cont'd
Exchanges
 Set-up closet/other small area for Student
Supply Exchange
 File folders, hanging
folders, envelopes, binders, paperclips, pens, pencils,
etc.
 Promote Exchange to teachers & staff
 Encourage students to leave (or take) items
 Start a prom dress (& tuxedo) exchange for
students or join a regional exchange
 List used musical instruments & sporting
equipment in newsletter or on Website

Step Five: Determine Where
the Materials will Go

 Identify a hauler or recycling center
 Check with school trash hauler
 Negotiate with hauler to offer reduced rate
for hauling both trash & paper
 Check Internet or telephone directory
under ―recycling‖ for recycling haulers

 Transport materials to local recycling
center or transfer station


Where the Materials Will
Go, cont'd

 Organize a district-wide collection
 Use school supply vehicles to collect
materials
 Take to a central school location for pick-up
by hauler or for transport by school
personnel to a recycling center

 Ask public works or highway
department to provide hauling


Where the Materials Will
Go, cont'd
 Can a local business or town office
act as a drop-off point or provide
collection?
 Is there a non-profit willing to
collect materials?
 If no options for paper recycling
exist, there may be agricultural
outlets for paper (animal bedding or
compost)


Tips

 Explore all options before setting up
the collection
 Pooling resources with other
schools, town offices, or businesses
can work to everyone’s advantage
 The greater the volume of material, the
more cost effective it may be for a
hauler to collect


Tips

 Find out exactly what the hauler will
accept or what is acceptable at the
recycling center prior to setting up
the program
 Some haulers will only handle paper
 Most recycling centers or transfer
stations will accept paper &
beverage containers

Step Six: Determine Storage
for the Collected Materials
 Consult with hauler
 The hauler will typically provide
containers for storage (large
carts, dumpster-style containers)
 Self-transport
 Devise system for easy transport
o Small carts on wheels
o Reusable bags or boxes


Storage, cont'd

 Storage areas for carts or bags
 Hallways, closets, an empty room, or
a small outside storage shed
 Consider safety, health, & fire codes
when selecting storage area


Storage & Collection Bins
 Each classroom & office (each desk
best) should have recycling bins
 Small containers, 15 - 25 gallons
are best
 Decorated cardboard boxes
 Old trash cans (decorated & with
recycling signage)
 Plastic totes, such as curbside recycling
or home storage containers

Classroom Container Options


Beverage Container Recycling
Bins


Tips

 Contact your town or county to see
if it can provide collection bins
 Solicit business or PTO sponsorship
to purchase bins
 Look for grant funding


Step Seven: The In-School
Collection System

 Set-up a system for moving recyclable
materials from the classrooms (& offices)
to outside recycling storage container (or
to larger carts stored inside)
 Determine:
 Who will collect the material
 How often will it be collected
 How it will be collected


Classroom Collection
Options
Option One
 Each classroom empties its recycling bin
into a centralized cart
 Carts can be located in hallways
 The recycling team or custodian takes
central cart to outside bin (or to the curb
for collection by a hauler, or a storage
area for later transport to a recycling
center)


Collection Options, cont'd

Option Two
 Custodians empty recyclables from the
classrooms & office areas
 Could be done on an as-needed basis
 Scheduled collection, e.g., one floor a day


Collection Options, cont'd

Option Three
 The recycling team or another school
group empties classroom containers
 Classrooms can set the bins outside the
classroom on a scheduled day
 Students organize collection schedule—
one floor a day, etc.


Tips

 Be sure to include offices & teacher work
areas in the collection system
 If beverage containers are collected, these
too must be factored in & a system
designed for collection
 Beverage containers may need to be collected
on a daily basis to reduce potential for insect
problems


Containers

 Classroom & office bins can be emptied
into larger, centralized containers (30-60
gallons) located around the school
 E.g., rolling carts or large reusable bags
 Carts may be able to be picked-up &
emptied by the hauler
 Check to see if the hauler provides carts


Containers, cont’d

 Alternatively, smaller carts can be
used & materials moved to outside
storage bin
 These carts or bags can also be rolled
into the classroom, down hallways, &
into office areas for collecting material


Sample Collection Carts


Points of Collection

 Classrooms (mixed paper, beverage
containers)
 Office areas & teacher work areas (mixed
paper, cardboard, beverage containers)
 Library (newspaper, mixed paper)
 Break areas & hallways (vending
machines–beverage containers)


Points of Collection, cont'd

 Near printers, copiers (paper)
 Cafeteria & kitchen (beverage
containers, steel cans, cardboard)
 Supply rooms (cardboard)
 Athletic areas (beverage containers)
 Machine shop (metal, paper, used motor
oil, antifreeze)


Tips
 Involve custodial staff in determining most
effective way to haul & store recyclables
 Even if custodians do not do the collection,
this ensures that recyclables do not
inadvertently end-up in trash or get
contaminated with garbage
 Use same style recycling bins for all
classrooms
 Label collection bins for recycling &
acceptable material


Tips, cont'd
 Distinguish paper recycling bins from
beverage container recycling bins by using
different styles or colors
 Recycling bins should be easily
distinguishable from trash bins
 Make sure storage bins meet fire safety
codes
 Collected recyclables must be kept clean &
dry


Step Eight: Publicity &
Education
 Develop a school recycling slogan & logo
 Hold a design contest
 Hold a kick-off event
 Announce program to local media, on
Facebook, Twitter, etc.
 Have students design posters, educational
displays, newsletter articles, & PA
announcements
 Show what can & cannot be recycled
 Show how to recycle
 Show importance of student participation
 Boast about success


Publicity & Education, cont'd
 Have recycling team do class
presentations, skits, or raps
 Conduct training sessions for
teachers, cafeteria workers, & student
leaders about what can & cannot be
recycled, & why
 Encourage teachers to incorporate
recycling into curricula
 Invite environmental speakers to speak
about importance of recycling, careers in
the environmental field, & local or regional
solid waste issues

School Environmental Club
Presentation


Sample Display


Step Nine: Troubleshooting &
Monitoring
 Monitor recycling bins for
contamination
 This is most effectively done when material
is collected or just following collection
 Respond quickly & appropriately to any
contamination issues
 Assign classroom volunteers to monitor
program

Monitoring, cont'd
 Keep an eye on program operations
 Are the collection bins in the right place?
 Are they overflowing too quickly?
 Are the people in charge of the collection
satisfied with the system?
 Are the collection bins & storage areas neat
& clean?
 Is there enough signage?
 Are there any problems with insects around
beverage recycling bins?

Monitoring, cont'd
 Keep records of materials collected &
reductions in trash disposal
 May be able to decrease size of garbage
dumpster, number of dumpsters, &/or
frequency of collection
 Use EPA’s WARM Tool
(http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd
/waste/calculators/Warm_home.html) to
calculate energy savings & greenhouse
gas emission reductions from the school’s
recycling efforts


Monitoring, cont'd
 Regularly post recycling results
 Add new members to recycling team
to avoid burnout
 Ask custodial staff for input about
recycling efforts & suggestions for
improvements
 Recognize their contributions


Checking for Contaminants &
Sorting Materials


Tips
 Program monitoring & outreach activities
must be ongoing & permanent part of
recycling efforts
 Be positive & rewarding
 Consider contests & awards as way to
reward participation & encourage students
to recycle
 Promote recycling
tonnages, environmental benefits, contest
winners, etc. on Website, Facebook, &
school announcements

Resources Available on NERC
Website: Action Tip Sheets
http://www.nerc.org/documents/index.html#S
choolWaste

Rural School Recycling
Waste Assessments


& Waste Audits Success

 Waste Audit Sheets  School Composting
Options
 School Waste
Assessment Form  Fundraising with
 School Reuse Tips Recycling

 Paper Use Reduction  Rural School Case
in Schools Studies in Waste
Reduction, Reuse, Rec
 School Cafeteria
ycling, & Composting
Waste Reduction
 School Web Resources


Resources Available on NERC
Website, cont'd
Presentations Case Studies
 Rural School Recycling  Academy of the Holy
Success Family, Connecticut
 Composting at School  Sayles
 Sustainable Recycling for School, Connecticut.
Schools  John M. Clayton
Implementing a Successful Elementary
School, Delaware

Green School Program
Hands to Earth: Educating  Pencader Charter High
School, Delaware

for a Sustainable World
Manchester Essex  Eldred School
District, New York

(Massachusetts) Regional
School District Composting  Liberty School
 Mansfield Middle School District, New York
(Connecticut) Composting


Other Resources
 Tools to Reduce Waste in Schools
http://www.epa.gov/wastes/education/toolkit.htm
 Materials for Recycling
www.ciwmb.ca.gov/gallery/wasteprev
 Lesson Plans & Other Resources www.paperrecycles.org
 Go Green School Initiative www.gogreeninitiative.org
 Green School Resources
http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8803.html
 The Green Team www.thegreenteam.org
 Various School Resources www.kab.org


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