Woolridge Elementary School Recycling Program

OBJECTIVES

1. Reduce the amount of solid waste leaving the school.
2. Recycle the maximum amount of solid waste leaving the school.
3. Actively engage the students in reducing and recycling efforts be incorporating this program into the academic curriculum.
4. Develop data to measure success of recycling program in subsequent years.

RESOURCES

1. Trash can(s) – 1 per classroom; teacher selects location in his/her classroom.
2. Recycle bin(s) – 1 per classroom; teacher selects location in his/her classroom .
3. Digital scale – 1 per grade level; teachers in each grade level to decide where the scale is to be stored in between weigh-ins.

PROCEDURE (SHEET 1)

1. On a designated recycling weigh-in day each week, selected students in each class will weigh their recycle bin.
   a. Student selection will be done on a class-by-class basis.
   b. Each bin should be weighed full and then empty to determine the actual weight of the recyclable items.
2. If the classroom recycle bin is not full each week, it is acceptable to weigh every other week instead.
3. Each grade level should fill out the “Recycling Weigh-In” sheet at the weigh-in.
4. Once the classroom recycle bin is weighed, it should be emptied into the grade level rolling recycling can. The school’s custodial staff will empty the large rolling recycling can into the outdoor recycling dumpster.
5. Turn in the completed Recycling Weigh-In sheet to the recycling coordinator each week. At the discretion of the teacher, it can be turned in at the end of each month with multiple entries.

PROCEDURE (SHEET 2)

1. Select one fill week in the months of September, January, and May.
2. During this one full week, weigh the trash coming out of each classroom at the end of every day.
3. Sum the weight of trash leaving the classrooms.
4. During and/or after each of the three “trash weigh-in” weeks, discuss what is being placed in the trash cans, why that trash is being generated, where the trash is going, and how the overall trash generation can be decreased in coming months.

ADDITIONAL CALCULATIONS
The following metrics will be tracked by the Recycling Coordinator and reported back to the school monthly.

1. Pounds of trash per person.
2. Pounds of recycled material per person.
3. Ratio of [trash/person]/[recycling/person]
   a. Goal: Keep this number lower than 1.
4. Trend of [trash/person]
   a. Goal: Decrease trash/person over the three trash weigh-ins.
5. Trend of total waste generation/person [trash + recycled material]/person].
   a. Goal: Decrease total waste leaving school over the monitoring period.
   b. Note: Total trash leaving school will be estimated for this calculation using data from the three trash weigh-in weeks.

After the first 4 months of data collection, other specific waste reduction goals (with associated metrics) may be set at the discretion of the school administration and Green Club.

ADDITIONAL RULES

1. This program will only include waste streams generated in regular classrooms and front office/administration spaces.
2. Specialty classrooms (art, music, PE) and the Cafeteria are not included in these calculations. It is encouraged to reduce, reuse, and recycle in these spaces, even though weigh-ins for these spaces will not be included in this “weigh-in” program.