How Can I Get Recycle Bins for My School?

Educate your peers on the benefits of recycling in school.

Many schools have recycling programs in place to offset the amount of waste produced. Think of how much paper your school uses on a daily basis, and think of simple it would be to collect all of that wasted paper and send it to the recycling center. By gathering interest, gaining student and administrative support, and educating others on the importance of recycling, you could help your school "go green" and save money. It will take some effort to acquire recycling bins for your school, but in the end, it will be worth your time.

Instructions

Gain Support

1. Talk to trusted teachers and administrators at your school about your desire to equip your school with recycling bins. Choose your favorite teacher or mentor or choose a teacher known for an interest in environmental issues.

2. Set up a meeting with your school principal to talk about recycling bins. He may already be interested in recycling, or he may need some convincing. Either way, gauge his interest in starting a recycling program.

3. Talk to your school's maintenance supervisor to see what steps should be taken behind the scenes to recycling. To keep your school clean, ask if the bins need tops or if cans and bottles should be emptied and rinsed before placing them in recycling bins.

4. Ask your peers if they would recycle items if recycling bins were placed around the school. Have the students who respond positively to your recycling efforts to sign a letter requesting recycling bins. By having students sign an open letter to the school's administrative staff, your request will have more weight. Your principal will be able to see how effective the recycling program would be in his school.

Do Your Homework

1. Evaluate how much waste is produced at your school. Focus on easily recyclable items such as aluminum cans, paper and plastic bottles. You could even collect recyclable items at lunchtime to gauge interest and enthusiasm for recycling.

2. Research how recycling at your school will help the environment and save your school money. Try to find hard evidence, such as how much paper your school goes through, how many bottles and cans are thrown into the garbage, and how these numbers could be reduced.

3. Educate other students and teachers on the benefits of recycling. Prepare a demonstration from the data you found by collecting recyclable items. Give your listeners concrete examples of how your school can effectively recycle.

Make a Plan

1. Form a Recycling Task Force from the most interested peers and teachers in your school. Find a teacher that will provide support to your recycling team. Science teachers are a good place to start, since they teach about the environment in class.

2. Contact your recycling and waste branch of your county government. Some cities already have recycling programs in place, and they may even provide your school with recycling bins.

3. Collect used boxes or plastic bins to use for recycling. Decorate the bins with your recycling team, clearly indicating that the bins are to hold recyclable materials. If you are separating your recycling, then indicate what the bin will hold. Write in large letters "paper only", "cans only" or "bottles only".

4. Determine where your recycling bins will be located. Set the bins up according to your research. Do most students have recyclable waste after lunch? Does the art room need a bin for scraps of used paper? Put the bins in high volume areas of waste so there are more opportunities to gather recyclable materials.

5. Place your recycling bins around the school, and encourage participating students to monitor the bins. When they are full, students should empty them so that they aren't overflowing.

References

• Do Something: Start a School Recycling Program
• EPA: Setting Up a Recycling Program: Schools and Offices
• The Massachusetts Recycling Coalition: Recycling In Schools