There are several ways in which schools can look at minimising the amount of waste which is thrown away daily. Waste prevention is a better environmental option and usually cheaper than either recycling or waste disposal.
Firstly, look at the amount of waste produced within the school, is it possible to reduce this?
There are lots of simple actions that your school can take to cut down on waste:
- Think about the packaging used in your lunch and try to prepare a waste-free lunch. The aim of the waste-free lunch is for each pupil to bring a packed lunch, which produces as little food and packaging waste as possible.
- Make double-sided photocopies where possible.
- Print only when necessary. Try and keep electronic copies of files instead of printing everything out.
If your waste cannot be reduced, can it be reused?
- If paper has only been written or printed on one side why not use it as scrap paper for messages, notes and lists. Keep a tray for one-sided paper to reuse.
- Use reusable bottles for juice or water instead of buying a new container every day.
Finally, can it be recycled?
For school recycling information, including activities linked to the curriculum and free resources visit the Recycle Now schools website.
Alternatively think about composting. Composting saves money, saves energy, saves water and provides free garden compost year after year. Composting at school is a fun way to learn about nature while also reducing the amount of organic waste that the school sends to landfill. An added bonus is that students can actually get to see the end result of their efforts - their finished compost being used in their school's grounds.