Best Practices. How to Implement a School Recycling Program

Transcription

1 Best Practices How to Implement a School Recycling Program Saint Paul Ramsey County Department of Public Health Environmental Health Section askeh@co.ramsey.mn.us

2 Table of Contents How to use this guide 3 Executive Summary: Paper, Cans and Bottles Recycling in Schools 3 The Benefits of Recycling 4 SECTION 1: THE PLANNING PHASE 5 Step 1: Identify an Interested School...6 Step 2: Is the School a Good Fit?...7 Step 3: The VIP Meeting...7 Step 4: Onsite Analysis...8 Step 5: Equipment & Supplies...9 Step 6: Establish a Garbage Baseline Step 7: Faculty & Staff Meeting Step 8: Student Service-Learning Step 9: School Training Sessions Step 10: Parents & Guardians SECTION II: IMPLEMENTATION PHASE..12 SECTION III: EVALUATION PHASE..13 Appendices Appendix 1: Planning Documents Appendix 2: Recycling Bin Options Appendix 3: Bin Recycling and Trash Label Templates Appendix 4: Trash Volume Survey Form Appendix 5: Parent/Guardian Letter & Newsletter Article Appendix 6: Implementation Week Check List Appendix 7: Case Studies of Successful School Recycling Programs 2

3 How to use this guide The best practices in this guide have been found to be effective methods to implement paper and container recycling programs in a school environment. They are a philosophical approach that will continually evolve as more K-12 schools implement comprehensive recycling programs. The methods outlined in this Best Practices Guide are divided into four sections. Sections I through III focus on the three phases that generally occur in the implementation of recycling in a school, including: (1) planning; (2) implementation; and (3) evaluation. Executive Summary School recycling has numerous challenges. Challenges can range from budgetary issues to collecting recyclables at school events. However, in the end schools are finding it pays to recycle and not just for economic reasons. To plan and implement increased paper and container recycling in a school setting, remember to: Make it SIMPLE Make it CONVENIENT Tell participants WHAT to recycle Tell participants WHERE to recycle Make it CONSISTENT Keeping these recommendations in mind are essential in any recycling program promotion. MAKE IT SIMPLE Simplifying a school recycling program will avoid confusion during the implementation phase. Use a color-coded system. For example, all bins for paper recycling are blue. Clearly label all bins with the type of accepted material. Labels can also be color-coded; particularly if color-coded bins are not a feasible option for a school. MAKE IT CONVENIENT Making a school recycling program convenient means providing more recycling bins. Pair every trash bin with a recycling bin. Depending on location, the type of recycling bin paired with a trash bin may vary. For example, classrooms may only need to have a paper recycling bin next to the trash. Hallways provide an opportunity for recycling centers, where all types of material paper, containers, and trash - can be disposed of in the appropriate bin. TELL PARTICIPANTS WHAT TO RECYCLE Identify acceptable and unacceptable items upfront in the planning process. The most common recyclables generated in schools are papers, plastic bottles and aluminum cans. 3

4 The following table outlines items that are typically recyclable and those that are not. Keep in mind recyclable items may vary depending on a school s recycling service provider. Plastic Glass Metal Paper YES: Plastic bottle & jugs Water, soda & juice bottles Milk & juice jugs Ketchup & salad dressing bottles Dishwashing bottles & detergent jugs Lotion bottles YES: Glass food & beverage bottles & jars YES: Metal food & beverage cans YES: Mail, office & school papers Magazines & catalogs Newspapers & inserts Phone books Shredded paper in closed paper bags Dry-good boxes Custodial boxes NO: Margarine, cottage cheese & other tubs Yogurt, pudding & fruit cups Styrofoam trays Plastic wrap & bags Toys NO: Drinking glasses, mugs, & dishes NO: Paint cans Aerosol cans NO: Boxes soiled with food Boxes from refrigerated or frozen foods Paper towels, napkins, cups & plates Gift wrap TELL PARTICIPANTS WHERE TO RECYCLE Successful recycling programs ensure that participants know where recycling opportunities are available. In classrooms, recycling and trash bins are often located near the door. Make sure students and staff are aware of the opportunity to recycle there. Students and staff should be aware of the location of the nearest hallway recycling center. MAKE IT CONSISTENT For school recycling programs to become sustainable long-term, it is important for consistency not only to be considered within a school, but across a school district. Establish a color-coded bin system. Use a standard label design. Create a consistent recycling program among all grades and schools in the district. The Benefits of Recycling 4

5 Recycling prevents pollution and saves natural resources and energy. It takes 95% less energy to create an aluminum can from a recycled aluminum can then it does to create from with raw materials. Moreover, if just one-half of the estimated 117 million aluminum cans that are tossed in the trash each year were recycled, enough energy would be saved to provide electricity to 8,000 homes for one year. There are several good reasons to recycle find your reason to below. Recycling can save schools money: The state of Minnesota requires waste haulers to add taxes or charges to waste bills. Some counties require waste haulers to assess an additional charge to the state s solid waste tax. Recyclables are not subject to the Minnesota Solid Waste Management tax of 17% or the County Environmental Charge (CEC). In Ramsey County, the CEC is 53% of the garbage bill. It is based on the volume of garbage produced. Here s the good news! When commercial generators of waste, including schools, separate their recyclables from their garbage stream and recycle it, they are exempt from paying both the CEC and the Minnesota State Solid Waste Management Tax on the volume of recyclables they recover. This costsaving business strategy can be transferred to schools. Recycling supports local jobs & the economy: The recycling industry creates over 19,000 jobs in Minnesota. It generates an estimated $3.48 billion in economic activity, and generates $64 million in Minnesota tax revenue every year. Recycling benefits the environment: Recycling conserves water and other raw materials, which will leave more natural resources for future generations. During 2008, residential recycling alone in Ramsey County saved 456,983 barrels of crude oil from being consumed. What goes in the recycling bin gets recycled: It is against state law for haulers to pick up recyclables and not recycle them. It is also against the law for a landfill or resource recovery facility to accept a load of recyclables. Minnesota companies like Rock-Tenn paper mill in St. Paul and Anchor Glass in Shakopee, use our recyclables to make new products. SECTION 1: THE PLANNING PHASE The planning phase is comprised of the activities that lead up to the implementation of expanded paper, bottles and cans. There are ten steps in the planning phase: Assess Interest and Fit 1. Identify an Interested School 2. Is this School a Good Fit? Address Operations and Logistics 3. The VIP Meeting 4. On-Site Analysis 5. Equipment & Supplies 5

6 6. Establish a Garbage Baseline Educate Students, Faculty and Staff 7. Faculty & Staff Meeting 8. Student Service-Learning 9. All-School Assembly Inform Parents and Community 10. Parents & Guardians Two documents designed to help schools manage the planning phase are provided in Appendix 1. These documents, the Planning Checklist and Planning School Questionnaire, serve as a road map to the planning phase. Step 1: Identify an Interested School When a school becomes interested in recycling, the first step is to assess their current recycling program. What volume of recyclables is currently collected in the school s recycling dumpster? What works well with the current recycling program? What could be improved with the current recycling program? What is the budget for program improvements? Is there an existing environmental team and/or interested students? Is the school a member of Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon (schoolscuttingcarbon.org) and/or Schools for Energy Efficiency (seeprograms.com)? Consider what size recycling bin is appropriate for each location and what items are acceptable. The following are recycling bin recommendations. For single stream recycling programs, separate containers for paper, bottles and cans are not necessary. All suggested recycling containers are to be paired with a garbage container. Classrooms inside classroom door paper recycling bin Classrooms at teacher s desk paper recycling bin Art room paper recycling bin Hallways recycling centers paper, bottle and can recycling bins Faculty lounge paper, bottle and can recycling bins Staff offices at desk workstations paper recycling bins Staff offices common spaces paper, bottle and can recycling bins Outside gym near vending machines bottle and can recycling bins Swimming pools bottle and can recycling bins Theaters paper, bottle and can recycling bins Cafeteria events bottle and can recycling bins 6

7 Step 2: Is the School a Good Fit? There is no exact science as to what makes a school a good fit to implement a recycling program. However, based on observation, the schools that have implemented highly successful recycling programs have at least one or more of the following attributes: Adult leadership that will provide the structure needed for students to participate in the program on a consistent basis. Ideally, this leadership starts with a supportive principal who is committed to the success of recycling, and this commitment trickles down to faculty and staff. In lieu of a supportive principal, a school can operate a successful program if the student service professional, dean of students and/or the head custodian are highly committed to the program and are willing to take on the added responsibility of making it a success. An environmental awareness among students, faculty and staff with a desire to implement recycling as a strategy to become more environmentally responsible at school. A sign that schools may already have heightened awareness include participating in Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon (schoolscuttingcarbon.org) and/or Schools for Energy Efficiency (seeprograms.com). A financial incentive to explore how recycling might slow the rising costs of garbage hauling and disposal costs. A school culture of student service-learning roles and responsibilities supported by consistent adult leadership and expectations. For example, Parkview Center School (PCS) in Roseville is an example of a school that offers students the opportunity to serve while learning and has implemented a highly successful recycling program. The PCS framework for this, called A.E.S.O.P., is included in Appendix 8. If an interested school has at least one or all four of the attributes that make it a good fit to implement more comprehensive recycling, then steps 3 through 6 will assist the school in planning for the daily operations and logistics of comprehensive recycling. Step 3: The VIP Meeting The VIP meeting is a gathering of key school personnel that will be impacted by the implementation and daily operations of recycling. The VIP meeting should include, but is not limited to, the school principal, the student services coordinator, the head custodian and the district purchaser The purpose of the VIP meeting is to: 1. Introduce the concept of comprehensive recycling 2. Complete a planning questionnaire 3. Begin to use the planning checklist as a road map for the planning phase. Planning documents are provided in Appendix 1. Introduction to Recycling A good way to introduce the concept of recycling to key personnel is view a short presentation on recycling more cans, bottles, and paper. The presentation has two versions: Student Version Student Version with testimonials on the 3 E's - Economical, Environmental, Efficient 7

8 The purpose of the student version is to educate elementary school students on how to sort recycling from garbage in the classroom and throughout the school. While the video targets elementary-age students. It is entertaining and will hold the attention of secondary-age students. The goal of the student version with testimonials is to inform school personnel about the many educational, financial and operational benefits of recycling through the unique perspectives of two school administration staff, a head custodian and a teacher. It is recommended that key school personnel view the student version with the detail "3 E's at the VIP Meeting. The presentation can be obtained by contacting or AskEH@co.ramsey.mn.us. More information and resources about waste reduction and recycling can be found at Reduce.org. Planning Questionnaire The purpose of the planning questionnaire is to document existing school operations that will impact the implementation of recycling. It is provided in Appendix 1. An explanation to the significance of each question is shown in italics. Planning Checklist The planning checklist is a tool to help schools chart their progress through the ten step planning process before the implementation of recycling. It is provided in Appendix 1. Step 4: Onsite Analysis The onsite analysis is a walk through and assessment of the: 1. Classroom layout 2. Common space areas and hallway recycling center locations 3. Observation of shipping and receiving logistics During this step it is helpful to have a floor plan of the school to document existing recycling opportunities and where recycling can be improved. Classroom Layout Increasing access for recycling opportunities really begins in the classrooms where students spend the bulk of their time. Therefore, it is important to provide a convenient way to recycle in classrooms. The typical classroom has a trash container located near the door and the teacher s desk. Each of these trash containers needs to be paired with a recycling bin. It is also recommended for schools to color-code recycling collection system. Color-coding recycling bins and labels reinforces WHAT to recycle WHERE, while still making the program SIMPLE and CONVENIENT. Furthermore, using the same system throughout a school and district ensures the recycling program is CONSISTENT. The following are questions to consider while conducting a walk-through assessment of the classrooms: Are there any recycling bins found in classrooms? Are all bins located near trash containers? And, do all trash containers have a recycling bin next to it? What recyclables are they collecting? 8

9 Are recycling bins a standard color? Note color of recycling bins. What sizes are recycling bins? Common Space Areas and Hallways Schools can serve multiple purposes during the school day and outside of it. Therefore, common space areas also need to be assessed for their recycling needs. Typical common space areas include: hallways, cafeterias, gymnasium, pool, and break rooms, and staff offices. Hallways throughout the school should be considered as collection/transfer stations. Look for areas where collection stations can be sited; potential areas are near the ends of hallways or near stairs. Collection stations should offer paper, cans and bottles, and trash containers to maximize the collection of recyclables and also offer container (cans and bottles) recycling outside of classrooms. If your school is doing a single stream recycling program you only need to have two bins in the hallway collection/transfer stations. One for trash, and another for paper, cans, and bottles. For schools interested in incorporating a service-learning project into their recycling program, hallway recycling locations for paper, bottles, cans and trash are ideal transfer stations. It is recommended for recycling centers to be centrally located throughout a school to best facilitate the transferring of recyclables from classrooms. Cafeterias are common space area that often doubles as space for special events. During the daytime lunch hours schools may participate in organics or food waste recycling. (Please see Cafeteria Food Waste Recycling Program for more information.) It is recommended that schools offer cans & bottles recycling in the cafeteria. Having 32 gallon Rubbermaid brutes on dollies ensures that recycling containers can be easily moved around for special events. In most cases, cafeterias will not generate significant amounts of paper recyclables. Therefore, providing Consider the following while conducting a walk-through assessment of the common space areas: Are there any recycling bins found in common space areas? Are all bins located near trash containers? And, do all trash containers have a recycling bin next to it? What recyclables are they collecting? Are recycling bins a standard color? (Note color of recycling bins.) What sizes are recycling bins? Shipping & Receiving Logistics During the walk through assessment, any unique circumstances to the school s shipping and receiving logistics should be noted. For example, do the recycling containers at the dock have lids? It may be important to ensure there are lids, because this prevents loose, mixed paper from flying around the school yard. Are there the right size and/or number of containers for trash and recycling? Step 5: Equipment & Supplies The equipment needed for an improved recycling program can vary from school to school. See Appendix 3 for bin suggestions. It is important for schools to plan ahead the materials needed for an improved recycling program. For example, a school may want to consider existing recycling bins and seek to compliment them for a consistent look. Program planning should assess the signage and labels needed for the recycling bins. There are examples of bin labels in Appendix 4. 9

10 Step 6: Establish a Garbage Baseline Most schools manage their trash loose in garbage dumpsters as opposed to compacting it in garbage compactors. Usually, the cost for trash dumpster pick-up service is a flat monthly rate based on dumpster volume (measured in cubic yards), frequency of pick-ups and the weight of trash (measure in pounds per cubic yard). Embedded in a school s monthly dumpster service charge is the garbage hauler s cost to haul garbage to a disposal facility (haul charge per cubic yard of trash) and the cost to tip garbage or weigh it in on a disposal facility scale (tip fee per ton of trash). The great the volume and weight of school garbage, the more expensive are garbage dumpster services. A garbage baseline before improved paper and container recycling is implemented helps a school understand how its garbage services and costs can be right size to the residual garbage stream left after recyclable materials have been diverted from the garbage. A garbage baseline consists of planning: Garbage dumpster services costs Garbage volume generated (cubic yards) Garbage weight per cubic yard Increased mixed paper and container recycling diverts heavy paper from loose trash in garbage dumpsters with two possible outcomes: (1) a reduction in garbage volume; and (2) a reduction in garbage weight. While a reduction in garbage weight typically occurs, a reduction in garbage volume may be less significant. For example, if a school routinely uses disposable Styrofoam trays, which contribute significant volume to the garbage stream, reduction in garbage volume may not occur. (However, the school may consider other waste reduction strategies, including food waste recycling and environmentally preferable purchasing.) Planning Garbage Service Costs The cost to manage loose garbage in dumpsters is based on the size and number of garbage dumpsters and the frequency of collection service. To determine the type of dumpster service a school receives, gather following in information from the current garbage hauler and monthly garbage bills: Number of Garbage Dumpsters Size of Garbage Dumpsters 1 (cubic yards) Number of Pick-Ups Per Month 2 1 Ask the current hauler. 2 Ask the current hauler which days of the week the school receives service (M, Tu, W, Th, F, Sa, Su). The number of pick-ups per month is the number of pick-ups per week multiplied by From a school s garbage bills, calculate the following: Cubic Yards Garbage Per Month 1 Collection Service Charge Per Month State Tax (17%) County Environmental Charge 2 (53% or 39.5%) Total Monthly Garbage Costs (A) 10

11 1 Size of garbage dumpster x Number of garbage dumpsters x Number of pick-ups per month. 2 The County Environmental Charge is 53% in Ramsey County and 39.5% in Washington County. The current monthly cost of garbage dumpster service = (A) Pre-Implementation Garbage Volume To baseline garbage volume, a visual garbage volume survey is conducted at least two weeks before the implementation of cafeteria food waste recycling. A sample survey is provided in Appendix 6. Survey data is collected by recording on the survey form how full the dumpster visually appears (1/4 full, half fully, ¾ full, etc.) just before it is emptied by a garbage hauler. A custodian may record visual survey data at one of two times: (1) at the end of the night shift; or (2) at the beginning of the day shift before the hauler empties the garbage dumpster. Pre-Implementation Garbage Weight Per Cubic Yard To baseline garbage weight per cubic yard, request an estimated weight per cubic yard of garbage from the school s garbage hauler. If the hauler does not have this information, the hauler may agree to weight the school s garbage dumpster before the implementation of increased paper and container recycling by using the following method: Weigh the garbage dumpster on pick-up day Record how full the dumpster is (1/4 full, half full, ¾ full, etc.) Calculate a weight per cubic yard of garbage in the dumpster Step 7: Faculty & Staff Meeting The purpose of the faculty and staff meeting is to inform and educate adults about the upcoming implementation of increased paper and container recycling and how it will impact them on a daily basis. A suggested format for the meeting is to: Provide presentation on benefits of improved cans, bottles, and paper recycling. Have an open discussion among faculty and staff to ask questions and express any concerns about increased recycling logistics and daily operations. Emphasize the importance of adult leadership to the implementation of increased recycling and identify student service-learning roles and responsibilities and discuss how they may be implemented. Step 8: Student Service-Learning Based on observation, the most successful recycling programs are those where adults create a framework for students to participate in and take ownership of the program through service-learning roles and responsibilities. Experience has show most students easily understand and readily embrace recycling because it empowers them to help the environment in a simple way by recycling classroom papers at school. Most students want to help recycling become a successful part of daily school operations. All they need is adult leadership to show them how to help through service learning roles and responsibilities. A recycling program offers a variety of service-learning opportunities for students throughout the school year. Examples include: Assisting in the classrooms with transferring recyclables to hallway collection centers 11

12 Leadership roles for older students mentoring and educating younger students Special projects for student groups such as student council School administrators should also examine other possible outreach efforts to promote waste reduction and recycling. Examples include, but are not limited to, providing information on school website, monthly newsletter articles, create school policies, include information in new student orientation, and adopt a field day. Once faculty and staff have identified possible outreach efforts and student service-learning roles and responsibilities that will work best for their school, a way to introduce these opportunities are through school trainings. Step 9: School Training Sessions The goal of the all-school assembly is to inform and educate students about increased paper and container recycling and to show them how to separate their recyclables from garbage. Holding two assemblies for younger and older students, respectively, works well. A suggested form is to: Plan for a 40 minute presentation and sorting activity Hold the assembly on the last Friday before implementation of increased recycling the following Monday. Present on paper, bottle and can recycling, and conduct a sorting demonstration. Introduce opportunities for service-learning roles and responsibilities to students. Set aside five to ten minutes for student questions at the end of the assembly. The purpose of the food waste sorting demonstration is for students to role-play how they would separate their recyclables from garbage at school and at home. The recyclables are set up as a demonstration and student volunteers are selected from the audience to assist in showing the audience while explaining how to sort recyclables from garbage. Step 10: Parents & Guardians Parents and guardians can be a great source of support for increased paper and container recycling. Informing parents and guardians during the planning phase creates interest and enthusiasm from home and con support students efforts in making the program a success at school. Ways to notify parents and guardians about the implementation of food waste recycling are to: Send a parent/guardian letter home Include an article in the school newsletter Add information on the school website. Sample parent/guardian letter and newsletter article are provided in Appendix 7. SECTION II: IMPLEMENTATION PHASE The implementation phase of increased recycling is about a two-month period beginning with the implementation week and ending with the completion of a garbage survey. The implementation phase has two goals: (1) to anchor the recycling program into the school s daily operations to become a long-term, sustainable 12

13 practice for students, faculty and staff; and (2) to determine if there has been a reduction in garbage volume and/or a reduction in garbage weight per cubic yard. Implementation Week The goal of implementation week is to help students make the transition into separating recyclables from garbage with ease and efficiency throughout the school. Implementation week is the first five days the program is implemented. Ideally, this is Monday through Friday of a five-day school week without interruptions due to non-school days. To help schools mange the first week of recycling, an implementation week checklist is provided in Appendix 8. Based on observation, implementation week is pretty easy and goes fairly well due to prior planning and presence of faculty and staff leadership. Trouble-Shoot & Problem Solve Even with the best planning and preparation possible, there may be unexpected opportunities to improve the recycling program once it has been implemented. The following strategies represent a growing body of knowledge accumulated by Ramsey and Washington schools in an effort to improve the recycling programs they implemented. However, there is no right or wrong way to set up and implement a recycling program in a school. Garbage Volume Survey To determine if implementation of the recycling program has reduced garbage volume, a visual garbage volume survey is conducted two months after implementation week. The method to conduct this survey is the same as the pre-implementation survey, and the same survey form provided in Appendix 6 is used. Survey data is collected by recording on the survey form how full the dumpster visually appears (1/4 full, half full, ¾ full, etc.) just before it is emptied by a garbage hauler. A custodian may record visual survey data at one of two times: (1) at the end of the night shift; or (2) at the beginning of the day shift before the hauler empties the garbage dumpster. Survey data are used to right size garbage dumpster services in the evaluation phase. Garbage Weight per Cubic Yard To determine if the implementation of increased recycling has reduced garbage weight per cubic yard in the dumpster, the hauler may agree to weight the school s garbage dumpster after the implementation of an improved recycling program by using the following method: Weigh the garbage dumpster on pick-up day Record how full the dumpster is (1/4 full, half full, ¾ full, etc.) Calculate a weight per cubic yard of garbage in the dumpster The garbage weight per cubic yard after the implementation is used to right size garbage service costs in the evaluation phase. SECTION III: EVALUATION PHASE Evaluation is the final phase of implementing a comprehensive recycling program. There are three goals of the evaluation phase: (1) to right size garbage services by reducing garbage dumpster size and/or frequency of pick-ups; (2) to right size garbage service costs; and (3) to present the many educational, financial, and operational benefits of comprehensive recycling to key administrative personnel at the top. 13

14 Right Size Garbage Services Garbage services can be right sized if the implementation of comprehensive recycling has reduced garbage volume. A reduction in garbage volume can have the following impact on garbage services: (1) a decrease in garbage dumpster size; and/or (2) a decrease in the frequency of garbage dumpster pick-ups. The results of the garbage volume survey conducted for two months after implementation week will reveal if garbage volume has decreased and if garbage services can be right sized. Example An elementary school has one six-cubic-yard garbage dumpster picked up three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The results of the schools two-month garbage volume survey after implementation week are summarized in Table 3. Table 3 Two-Month Garbage Volume Survey Data Results Program Week Implementation Week Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Monday Garbage Volume ½ full 3 cubic yards ¼ full 1.5 cubic yards ¼ full 1.5 cubic yards ½ full 3 cubic yards ¼ full 1.5 cubic yards 1/8 full 0.75 cubic yards ¼ full 1.5 cubic yards ¼ full 1.5 cubic yards Wednesday Garbage Volume 6 cubic yards 6 cubic yards ¾ full 4.5 cubic yards 6 cubic yards 6 cubic yards ¾ full 4.5 cubic yards 6 cubic yards 6 cubic yards Friday Garbage Volume Total Weekly Garbage Volume (cubic yards) ½ full 3 cubic yards 12 ½ full 3 cubic yards cubic yards 12 ¾ full 4.5 cubic yards 13.5 ¾ full 4.5 cubic yards 12 6 cubic yards ¾ full 4.5 cubic yards 12 6 cubic yards 13.5 Average 12 While the school purchases 18 cubic yards of capacity a week to manage its garbage (6-cubic-yard dumpster x 3 pick-ups per week), the survey data indicate that the school only generates an average of 12-cubic-yards of garbage a week. The right size garbage services for the school is to purchase 12-cubic-yards of dumpster capacity a week or a 6-cubic-yard dumpster picked up two times a week. Table 4 summarizes the right size garbage services indicated from the garbage volume survey results. 14

15 Table 4 Right Size Garbage Services Garbage Services Weekly Garbage Dumpster Capacity Original Before food waste recycling implementation 6-cubic-yard dumpster Pick-up days: M,W,F 18 cubic yards Right Size After food waste recycling implementation 6-cubic-yard dumpster Pick-up days: T, F 12 cubic yards There are special circumstances when a reduction in garbage volume may not occur due to increased overall recycling. These include: The daily use of one-time-use Styrofoam trays in the cafeteria, which creates a significant daily volume of garbage that, does not change when recyclables are diverted from the garbage stream. The garbage dumpster was overflowing with garbage prior to the implementation of comprehensive recycling, and the residual garbage volume left after recyclables are diverted from the garbage stream is the right fit for the original weekly garbage dumpster capacity The school s garbage dumpster is shared with another large waste generator such as a park and recreation program that operates evenings and weekends. When another large waste generator contributes to a school s garbage dumpster, the residual garbage volume left after recyclables are diverted does not significantly reduce to the point where garbage services can be right sized. Student enrollment in the school has increased, which increases garbage volume generated overall at a greater rate than diverting recyclables from the garbage stream has decreased garbage volume. Whether or not garbage volume is reduced, more comprehensive recycling can decrease garbage weight per cubic yard and offers the opportunity for a school to work with its hauler to right size its garbage service costs. Right Size Garbage Service Costs Garbage service costs can be right sized if the implementation of comprehensive recycling has reduced: (1) garbage volume; and/or (2) garbage weight per cubic yard. A reduction in garbage volume will reduce the amount of garbage dumpster capacity a school needs to purchase, and a reduction in garbage weight per cubic yard lightens the load and reduces the cost per cubic yard a hauler will have to pay a disposal facility to dispose of the school s garbage. The following information will help a school right size its garbage service costs: Pre-Implementation Baseline Garbage dumpster service costs Garbage volume survey results Garbage weight per cubic yard 15

16 Two-Month Implementation Garbage volume survey after implementation week Post-Implementation Garbage weight per cubic yard: the hauler may agree to weigh the school s garbage dumpster after the implementation of comprehensive recycling to estimate a reduced post-implementation weight per cubic yard of garbage. To right size garbage service costs, a school may choose to informally negotiate with its hauler or proceed with a formal bid process and a new hauler service contract. Both strategies will require the support and involvement of key administrative personnel at the top. All Roads Lead to the Top From a request by an involved parent to a directive from the superintendent s office, there are a variety of ways in which a school might initiate the implementation of a comprehensive recycling program that ends with the opportunity to right size garbage service costs. Regardless of how the implementation gets started, the longterm sustainability of the many benefits of the program depends on a full understanding of the educational, financial, operational and environmental benefits of recycling by key administrative personnel at the top. Without the leadership and support from the superintendent and administrative staff in the business, financial, operations and purchasing departments, the longevity of any recycling program will be at risk. For example, a supportive principal committed to the success of recycling might be reassigned to a different school or a head custodian that is highly committed to the program might go on an extended leave of absence. Top administrative personnel will provide long-term consistency and continuity to the school s recycling program. A direct line of communication about the many educational, financial, operational and environmental outcomes of comprehensive recycling from an individual school to top administrative personnel is invaluable and may lead to a district-wide implementation of comprehensive recycling in all schools. 16