[LM_NET] HIT: School Recycling

["Stokes, Lisa" <LStokes@ESU3.ORG>]

Hello, everyone,

Thanks to everyone who replied.  Again this is a wonderful group of people who have 
such a broad base of knowledge!  Below is my original post and the responses I have 
received so far.   On a side note for everyone, National Library Week (April 13-19, 
2009) happens to be the same week as National Environmental Education Week (April 
12-18, 2009).  We are hoping to use that week as a celebration and kick off of a 
six week trial of school recycling to see if the program works for us.  Thanks 
again!

Lisa
Lisa Stokes
Librarian
Gretna Middle School
Gretna, NE
lstokes@esu3.org

**********************************

Dear Colleagues,
We are thinking about starting a recycling program for our cafeteria and
some concerns have been raised about sanitation.  We already recycle
paper in the classroom, but want to expand to plastic bottles, cans,
etc. during lunch and possibly at other times.  We're trying to find out
what or how other schools with full recycling programs handle the issues
with bugs, storage, etc.  Do you really have any problems?  What kind of
containers do you use until the materials are picked up or dropped off
at the recycling centers?  Any help / ammo you can give us to help get
our program off the ground would be great!

Thank you to all for your input!

Lisa

***********************************


We've tried this a few times, and it doesn't seem to work. You will need
collection points, which can be just a trash can with a lid that accepts
only items of a certain size and well marked. Then you will need to have
someone take that trash can and sort the stuff in it daily. The real
trash that gets put in it (and there will be lots of it) will have to go
into a trash can. The stuff that you will recycle will need to be washed
off/rinsed out and then flattened. When you have enough to take to your
recycler, someone will have to drive it there. All in all, if you paid
someone to do the work you would probably spend several hundred dollars
each month. That's why our MS quit doing it - it was really more work
than it was worth.

BTW, you do know that the chemicals used to reprocess paper are more
hazardous than the raw paper, and that recycled paper is generally more
expensive than new paper.

*********************************

I would use a sanitation bucket for rinsing cans, bottles, etc. before
they go into the receptacle. A bucket of soapy bleach water would be
best.  I know you can earn money for recycling juice pouches from the
vender, but they have to be sliced and  cleaned out before returning.

*********************************

Use large trash cans with a plastic sack.  It will no messier than taking
out the garbage.

*********************************


Our school has a "Compost Patrol."  In the lunch room, next to the trash cans are 
large buckets where students can put their salad, fruit peels, etc.  The Patrol 
takes the buckets out and empties them into the composting bins we have on the 
school grounds each day.  The bins have lids, so no problem with animal pests.  We 
also have large trash cans for plastic bottle recycling - the rule is that the 
bottle must be rinsed out before dropping it in.  Each class has a bin for paper 
recycling, then there are the large dumpsters outside for newspaper and white paper 
recycling.  Students take the class containers and empty them into the dumpsters.  
We also have containers for aluminum can recycling and dumpsters for cardboard 
recycling.  The local gardening club that helps with our school grounds actually 
put out rainwater barrels this summer so they can recycle the rainwater to use in 
watering the flowerbeds and cut down on the school's water use from the utility 
company.  It may take a while to get everyone used to the procedures, like rinsing 
out containers, but it is well worth it.

************************************************

Our school contacted the local government to get official plastic bins
(they look like large blue trash cans with sealing flip-top lids).
Students know to drop their plastic bottles and shut the lid to keep
pests out. That said, the recycling only gets picked up once a week and
we've had less success making sure students only place empty (ideally
washed out) bottles in the bins.
Hope this helps.

**********************************

We have a recycling program for plastics & cans as well as paper. We have 
containers set up in hallways, cafeteria, and outside (we're a campus-style high 
school).

One thing I would do is check with the recycling company to see what kinds of 
containers they will accept the recycled items in. If they will accept clear 
plastic garbage bags, etc.

We have one teacher who has her kids in charge of collecting and sorting all the 
recycled materials -- paper, bottles, cans. They have large covered poly carts on 
wheels that they store outside. When those get full, they empty them into a larger 
container provided by the recycle company.

I'm not sure how often stuff gets picked up but I know it's on a regular schedule.

**************************************

Please post a hit
I have always wanted to do this and
We have some really nice bins that I think would be
Impervious to critters.
We ordered them through a maintenance catalog so they didn't cost much
and
I was able to get some bright colors
Blue, green and yellow

********************************

Have you looked into TerraCycle? They help schools set up recycling programs for 
things like juice pouches and snack wrappers and then will donate 2 cents for every 
item collected to a charity of your choice.

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