We’ve been building exceptional public & private school waste management programs for over 35 years. Here’s 10 key tips that’ll build the zero-waste program you’ve always wanted – plus save you money in the process!
Elementary & Secondary Schools are massive producers of waste, most of which is easily recycled with the correct program in place. By running an effective school recycling program, you can help ensure that landfill-destined trash is greatly reduced, plus that recyclable items are turned into new products!
Let’s start with the facts:
The average secondary school produces 22kg of waste per student each academic year. The figure for primary schools is even higher at 45kg per student.
At least 40 percent of a typical school waste stream is paper.
Glass plus plastic beverage containers account for about 15 percent of a school’s waste stream (and recycling just one glass bottle saves enough energy to power a 100-watt electric light bulb for four hours!).
According to Regional Recycling, your school district could see as much as $70,000 added to its operating budget from a beverage container recycling program.
When a school has an effective recycling program in place, it sets a standard for the community plus produces more eco-conscious future-leaders.
An effective program focuses on reducing waste, reusing useful materials, plus recycling as much as possible. Ineffective school programs tend to generate a lot of waste, require regular maintenance, plus result in expensive waste disposal. Bearing these things in mind, let’s take a look at 10 of the key ways to enhance the effectiveness of your elementary & secondary school recycling program:
- Do Some Background Research
Check to see if there were any past recycling efforts at the school. Find out what worked, plus identify any obstacles that may have kept the program from running smoothly in the past.
Familiarize yourself with Waste plus Recycling laws in your tempat to make sure your future program is within legal boundaries. Look into what kinds of waste is being produced by the school, plus check to see what waste streams are collected by local waste management companies. Check the frequency of pickup plus the ongkos of diverting waste to make sure you have all the knowledge you need to build an effective plan.