Green Up Our Schools

Colfax Elementary

Green Up Our Schools member from 2008 to 2011

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 Emphasized the importance of conserving paper by printing on both sides of the page whenever possible. Students created an education campaign and tracked actual paper usage. (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
Field Trip (DPS) Visited a local recycling center to learn about what happens with materials after they are collected from the school. (Learn more.)	2008-2009
Year 2
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.)	2010-2011
Paper Towel Reduction Campaign Launched a campaign to raise awareness on the use of paper towels in school, creating a slogan and tracking usage patterns. (Learn more.)	2010-2011

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!)*

66%

60%

10%

30%

2008
(Fall)

2009
(Spring)

2010
(Spring)

2010
(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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Our school has really benefited from this program. You can really see how the students' habits have changed compared to the start.