How to Start a School Recycling Program

Students, parents and teachers make up a large part of the population. And they all gather together at school. That means that you could make a significant impact on the environment by raising awareness about recycling. And you can do that by starting a recycling program at your school.

Instructions

• 1

  Organize a team. This team should consist of students, parents, teachers and administrators. This team will be responsible for the new recycling program.

• 2

  Know what you throw away. Determine what recyclable materials are thrown away at the school, and just how much there is. That will help you determine which areas you want to really focus your recycling program on.

• 3

  Find a company that will handle your recycling. These are available in the phone book or sometimes your local government will have some suggestions. Ask to speak with the recycling coordinator.

• 4

  Coordinate your recycling needs with the capabilities of the recycling company. Some of the most common items handled by recycling companies are cardboard boxes, office paper, newspapers, aluminum cans and plastic bottles. You might also consider recycling rechargeable batteries and printer cartridges.

• 5

  Determine how the recyclable materials will be collected. Office paper can easily be recycled using bins in each classroom. But other materials, like cardboard boxes, might be more difficult. You'll need to find someone to coordinate all of the recyclable materials and make sure it's ready for collection each week.

• 6

  Involve everyone at the school. To get parents involved, you might hold some recycling rallies where parents can bring their recyclable materials to the school.