Waste Reduction and Recycling
Quick Tips:
- Before starting a new school year, sort through your materials. Many supplies can be reused or recycled. Notebooks, folders, and binders can be reused.
- To reduce packaging waste, use school supplies wrapped with minimal packaging, use compact or concentrated products, or buy products in bulk.
- Borrow or rent your decorations and supplies for parties and events. If you buy these supplies, try adopting a theme that can be used from year-to-year, so that you can reuse your decorations and supplies.
Setting up Programs
Quick Tips:
- Form a team with committees to take charge of specific tasks.
- Set an agenda or goals for the program, and engage parents and volunteers in the process.
- Secure materials, donations, and other resources from your community.
Chemical Management
Quick Tips:
- Take note of–but do not touch–chemicals in classrooms, janitorial closets and facility management sheds that do not have proper labels, are old and dusty or look unsafe (for example, have crystals growing around cap). Immediately report the location and description of the chemicals to the Principal and the Science Department chair.
- Promote responsible chemical management so that students and staff are protected from chemical accidents or exposures.
- Incorporate Green Chemistry and Sustainability lesson plans in the Chemistry Curriculum.
- Contact your local household hazardous waste collection facility for instructions on safely disposing of harmful waste products and materials, such as empty aerosol paint cans, leftover paint and thinners, used solvents and paint chips, unused garden products like fertilizers and pesticides, and household chemicals.
- Properly store any unused paint for future use, donate unused paint to neighbors or charities, or turn in your used paint to a waste collection facility for recycling.
This information was borrowed from the EPA website.
