Tips on School Recycling Projects

Recyling bins should look different from trash cans.

Recycling helps to reduce the amount of trash going into landfills, which often emit gases such as methane into the air. Objects made of materials including paper, aluminum, plastic and glass, can usually be recycled. People can also recycle certain materials that are dangerous if thrown away, such as motor oil or old paint. Schools can get students, teachers and administrators involved in recycling by developing a recycling project. These types of programs can be effective if implemented in an organized manner.

Implementation

In order for recycling programs to be implemented in schools, school administrators often need to be involved. They usually help make sure the program follows school regulations and assist with the logistics of the program, such as briefing custodial workers on how to handle recycled materials and making plans for how recyclables get to the recycling center. Schools need to make space for recyclables, purchase or create recycling containers and make decisions on what materials to recycle before starting to implement a recycling program. School administrators or teachers also usually have to find ways to educate students, teachers and staff members on the logistics of the program, such as what containers are used for recycling and what they can hold.

Teacher, Student and Staff Involvement

In order for school recycling programs to work, different groups of people, including students, teachers, office workers, principals, counselors and custodians, need to be involved. Students and teachers often play a major role in helping to keep the program going. Some schools develop groups dedicated to recycling programs, which can be made up of students, staff members, parents or teachers. The group is usually responsible for getting others involved in the recycling process, doing fund-raising to get the program started or contacting recycling centers to see what materials they will take and whether they will pick up recyclables at the school. Students, teachers, parents and school staff can also get involved by recycling goods they use at school, such as plastic bottles and paper, as well as bringing in goods from home to recycle, if the school holds recycling events or drives.

Community Involvement

Successful recycling programs in schools often involve community members. This can include parents, local government members, business owners or others. Sometimes schools can get businesses or organizations involved with them in recycling, which can help with the costs, implementation or the daily maintenance of the program. In some cases, schools are able to raise money because recycling centers or organizations may pay money for the recycled materials. One of the best ways to get community members involved in the process of recycling is to hold drives, during which a school asks students, parents and outside community members for recyclable materials. Another way to get community members involved is to create a drop-off center at the school where people can bring their recycled goods.

Program Maintenance

For a recycling program to work, people within the school have to continue to recycle materials. Sometimes the interest wanes after its initiation, and people stop recycling after a few weeks or months. School administrators, people in the school's recycling group and others involved have to find ways to continually stress the importance. They could do this by creating posters or signs to put on or near recycling bins. Recycling bins should be accessible as trash cans. Schools can get students engaged in the process of recycling by giving out incentives, such as t-shirts, for recycling, or asking students to paint recycling containers with original designs. The daily work of the program, such as taking goods to a recycling center, has to be carried out on a regular basis. Someone, such as a recycling coordinator, needs to make sure that materials are sorted so that they can be recycled.

References

• Consumer Recycling Guide: Commonly Recycled Materials
• ReycleWorks: Setting up a School Recycling and Waste Reduction
• City of San Diego: Setting Up a School Recycling Program
• South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control: Starting a School Recycling Program
• North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance: Guidelines to Starting a School Recycling Program
• St. Charles County Division of Environmental Services: Start a School Recycling Program

Resources

• Land-of-Sky Regional Council: Implementing Successful School Recycling Programs
• State of Connecticut: Expanding Your School Recycling and Waste Reduction Plan
• LA County Department of Public Works: Organizing Cafeteria Recycling Programs in Elementary Schools
• NSF Consumer Information: The Importance of Recycling
• Environmental Protection Agency: Common Recyclable Materials