waste
If everyone in the world lived as we do in the UK then we would need 3 planets not one. So much that we buy is either not needed or not used. In America 99% of all that is bought is disposed of or unused within 6 months. In the UK the greenhouse gas emissions that could be saved by not throwing away food is equivalent to taking one in five cars off the road.
The collection and disposal of school waste causes around 200,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions each year. Schools can play a key part in reducing waste by
- Reducing what we buy and use
- Reusing our resources
- Recycling as much as possible
1. Reducing what is bought – e.g. halve the paper you use. The best way to reduce waste is often through simple changes in habits and behaviour. Ensuring that all photocopying is double-sided or more ideally that resources and notices are accessed through the school’s learning platform and website can make a big difference. The next section on procurement gives some further practical strategies.
2. Re-use resources – ‘free’ uniforms, DVDs and bikes! How about a PTFA nearly-new uniform shop or setting up a student-run Swap Club for DVDs CDs and games. The school could host a series of ‘drop and swop’ events in which unused items can be dropped at the school which other parents or pupils could re-use – the easiest to organize and most popular is a bike event with cycles that older students have outgrown.
3. Compost food waste If you can be certain that pupils will place compostable waste (ie fruit & vegetable scraps) in appropriate bins then this waste together with other compostable material (e.g tea bags, grass and plant clippings and dried leaves) can be used to produce a rich source of compost for your allotments. However there are composting bins that will allow various waste to be mixed that may be more ideal for use in schools.
4. Make money from recycling – There are various commercial sites which will buy and recycle mobile phones, printer cartridges etc. Why not have a non-uniform day to encourage all pupils to bring in their old phones? Also instead of buying expensive recycling bins you could recycle old bins and cardboard boxes using recycling bin stickers.
5. Hold some rubbish events to capture the interest of students – what about Waste Audits, or Paper log making sessions or Junk Fashion Shows, all aimed at encouraging pupils to re-use and recycle.
1. Easy2begreen factsheets and posters on waste and recycling
2. A set of Citizenship lessons, posters and signage
3. Resources and posters from Enviroschools in Auckland New Zealand
4. Waste Audit and Action Plan to help the whole community to understand what is thrown away and to reduce what goes to landfill
1. Friends of the Earth - www.foe.co.uk - focusing on improving the environment, and reducing waste
2. http://www.recyclenow.com - dedicated to helping schools and other groups to reduce waste and recycle
3. Recycool - www.recycool.org Commercial site providing payment for recycled goods
4. An American website www.storyofstuff.com – a simple but very effective site and video exploring the problems with our high levels of production and consumption