Green Up Our Schools

Davis Elementary

Green Up Our Schools member from 2008 to 2012

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.)	2008-2009
Recycling Program Started a recycling program for the school, with recycling bins in every classroom & all the common areas. (Learn more.)	2008-2009
Double-Sided Copying Campaign Held a classroom door poster decorating contest to promote using both sides of the page. (Learn more.)	2008-2009
Reusable Dishes for Staff Lounge Placed a set of reusable bowls, plates, cups, and silverware in the staff lounge to reduce the waste created by disposables. (Learn more.)	2008-2009
Year 2
Zero Waste Lunch Campaign Taught students how to bring a lunch from home without any disposable packaging. Created a reward system for kids who brought food in reusable containers with no disposable packaging. (Learn more.)	2009-2010
Scratch Paper Reuse Boxes Created scratch paper reuse boxes for paper that had only been used on one side. Placed in every classroom and tracked the usage. (Learn more.)	2009-2010
Year 3
Worm Bin Composting Implemented classroom worm composting bins for vegan food waste, constructed in 14-gallon containers kept indoors. Students are able to witness the decomposition process firsthand as food turns into soil. (Learn more.)	2010-2011
Terracycle Upcycling Collected common lunchroom waste items such as Capri Sun pouches and mailed them in for recycling. Terracycle provides pre-paid shipping labels and pays per item collected. (Learn more.)	2010-2011
On Campus Composting Purchased three "compost tumblers" to process vegan food waste from the school lunchroom. Students turn the tumblers regularly, watching the soil decomposition process take place. (Learn more.)	2010-2011
Year 4
On Campus Composting Expanded existing composting program to include new bin types. (Learn more.)	2011-2012
Zero Waste Classroom Party Kits Created Zero Waste Classroom Party Kits, a set of reusable dishes designed to eliminate the need for disposable plates, cups, and utensils during class festivities. (Learn more.)	2011-2012

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!)*
	64%	39%	25%	25%	47%	43%	24%
	2008 (Spring)	2009 (Fall)	2010 (Spring)	2010 (Fall)	2011 (Spring)	2011 (Fall)	2012 (Spring)
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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Monthly phone calls are great, keeps everything on the top of my to-do list. I feel very supported. It's nice to know that Patty will call someone for me.