Green Up Our Schools

Ellis Elementary

Green Up Our Schools member since 2010

During the 3 years of the program, each school creates their own "green" plan to recycle more and waste less.

View photos of all the green activities in action.


Waste Reduction Projects Each school must complete a minimum of two waste reduction projects per year. Click on each title to view a more detailed description.

Year 1
Student Green Team Formed a group of eco-minded students to take on the responsibility of the recycling program and carry out green activities. (Learn more.)	2010-2011
Commercial Composting Began a contract for commercial composting services for food & paper waste. Each week, hundreds of pounds of lunchroom waste are hauled from the school to a facility that processes it all back into soil. (Learn more.)	2010-2011
Scratch Paper Reuse Boxes Scratch paper reuse boxes are for paper that had only been used on one side. Placed in every classroom, they help promote paper conservation and save costs for the school. (Learn more.)	2010-2011
Year 2
Composting Expanded to Bathrooms Expanded commercial composting beyond the lunchroom to capture the paper towels thrown away in the bathrooms every day. Green bins placed in bathrooms for collection. (Learn more.)	2011-2012
Paper Towel Reduction Campaign A paper towel reduction campaign raises awareness on the use of paper towels in school, with the goal of reducing consumption. Students create a slogan and track usage patterns. (Learn more.)	2011-2012
Year 3
Zero Waste Classroom Party Kits A Zero Waste Classroom Party Kit is a set of reusable dishes designed to eliminate the need for disposable plates, cups, and utensils during class festivities. (Learn more.)	2012-2013
Reusable Silverware in the Lunchroom Plan to replace plastic utensils with reusable metal silverware to eliminate the amount of waste created in the lunchroom each day. (Learn more.)	2012-2013
Reusable Dishes for Staff Lounge A set of reusable bowls, plates, cups, and silverware in the staff lounge helps reduce the waste created by disposables. (Learn more.)	2012-2013
Recycled Purchasing Policy A Recycled Purchasing Policy emphasizes the importance of buying goods with post-consumer recycled content to close the recycling loop by creating a demand for the kind of products that the school's recycling program creates. (Learn more.)	2012-2013

Waste Assessment Results

Every school in the program performs at least one waste assessment every year. This activity helps to show progress made and areas that still need improvement.

Percentage of Trash categorized as Recyclable
(Lower is better!)*

12%

18%

13%

2010
(Fall)

2011
(Spring)

2011
(Fall)

Year

*The presence of recyclable materials in the trash means students & teachers are not correctly sorting items they throw away. The lower the percentage, the more successful the recycling program.


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The best part of the program is the accountability of the monthly phone calls. There's joint problem solving, sharing of information, relationship building -- the calls are the hallmark of the program.