Solid Waste Reduction
Student run school wide recycling program- 15, 2rd-5th grade students meet every Tuesday to collect the recycling from classrooms and around the school. They breakdown boxes, wash out cans, and collect paper. This program started in 2011 and continues to run weekly. The cans are turned in for money to be used in our school garden supplies. Each classroom has a recyclable container to place items in to be collected.
Students in all grades routinely make artwork out of recyclables- Since 2010 the students in every grade have used egg cartons, water bottles, cardboard, and plastic bags to create art. The Art teacher is the schools Green Team leader. Plastics bags are used for weaving, water bottles are tuned into flowers, egg cartons are turned into insects and flowers. Students make art and also are taught why they are utilizing recyclables in their art to reduce waste. These important lessons are taught every year.
Composting- 50- 2nd-5th graders manage the schools composting program. The program started in 2011 and students continue to compost scraps from the cooking class weekly....Earlier this year our Green Team assembled a new compost bin in our garden. Our hopes is to increase to a 3 part composter that will be located farther away from the building were we can increase the amount that we compost. We have had worm composting in past years and plan to reintroduce them back into our program next year.