Green Up Our Schools

Edison 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
Teacher Coffee Mugs Purchased reusable coffee mugs for all school faculty, printed with environmental logo, to thank them for their help with the school's green programs. (Learn more.)	2008-2009
Green Lawn Party Transformed the annual PTA event into a green function, encouraging reusable containers and placing recycling bins in easily accessible locations. (Learn more.)	2008-2009
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.)	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
Year 2
Reusable Silverware in the Lunchroom Replaced plastic utensils with reusable metal silverware to eliminate the amount of waste created in the lunchroom each day. (Learn more.)	2009-2010
Reusable Trays in the Lunchroom Replaced disposable Styrofoam trays with reusable, compartmentalized alternatives. The compartments allow for food to be placed directly on the tray, eliminating the need for disposable cups and plates. (Learn more.)	2009-2010
Trash to Trees Participated in the Inverness Hotel's annual "Trash to Trees" contest, where students decorate holiday trees with nothing but recycled or reused materials. The trees are then auctioned off as fundraisers. (Learn more.)	2009-2010
Year 3
Commercial Composting Commercial composting is a service provided to the school by an outside company, similar to recycling. Hundreds of pounds of food & paper waste are hauled to a facility that processes it back into soil. The weekly collection system can handle the full volume of organic waste that comes out of the lunchroom, bathrooms, and classrooms. (Learn more.)	2010-2011
Earth Day Kits Will work with RAFT to create Earth Day kits packed with environmentally-centered ideas for kids to reuse from year to year. RAFT is a local non-profit specializing in providing educational supplies from repurposed materials. (Learn more.)	2010-2011
Year 4
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

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!)*
	78%	17%	10%	9%	10%	8%
	2008 (Fall)	2009 (Spring)	2010 (Spring)	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 monthly phone calls are great for bouncing ideas around and getting help with any obstacles.