Recycling - Bottles and Cans
- Have a contest between grade levels or classes to see who can collect the most
- Take a stand with a can! For example, students can vote using their recyclables. Let’s say you want to provide your students with a chance to listen to music at their school. Place 3 recycling bins together, each has a different musician posted above the can, students vote for who they want to hear with their cans.
Composting
- Use your compost in your school garden. If you don't have a garden, you can start one!
- Grow plants for the classroom or to take home, add compost for healthy plants
- Alan Piercy at Vermipro.com (714-647-1275) is a great resource to start your school compost.
Upcycling
- Collect items for Upcycling with Terracycle (terracycle.net)
- Bottle caps to make magnets or jewelry
- Soda tabs to make bracelets
- Paper for paper making or paper beads
- Collect used magazines to decorate journals, jars, and other containers
- Collect paper towel and toilet paper rolls, and egg crates for animal enrichment for students pets or class pets
- Candy wrappers to make into bracelets or bags
Waste Reduction - Raise Awareness
- Paint a landfill on all or some of the trash cans around your school to raise awareness of where your trash goes once it leaves the school.
- Free trade program where students can exchange supplies (i.e. backpacks, books, toys)
- Students can sell green items to fundraise money for your school through an company like Go Green Lunch Box. This is a great way to promote a waste free lunch by allowing parents to purchase reusable lunch containers.
- Start a share table at lunch for uneaten food.
Call our office if you would like suggestions or assistance with your projects.
