Transcript Ten Steps to Starting a Recycling Program at Your School

Ten Steps to Starting a
Recycling Program at
Your School
It’s the LAW

The Mississippi Multi-Media Waste
Minimization Act of 1990
established a goal to reduce solid
waste in Mississippi by 25%.
Step One
Organize a recycling team
 Select a coordinator
 Recruit team members from every
area of the school
Recycling
 Meet regularly
Program Plan
Step Two

Conduct a Waste Audit

Get to know your trash
What waste materials are produced
at the school?
Where does the waste material
come from in the school?
Who pays for the waste hauling?
How often is the garbage collected and
in what size dumpster?
Step Three

Identify a recycling collector or
markets for recyclables



Check the phone book for local
recycling facilities
Request a copy from MDEQ of the
Mississippi Recycling Directory at
601/961-5171
Contact your Local or State
Recycling Coordinator
Step Four

Choose what to collect based on
what the recycler will accept









Corrugated cardboard
White paper
Newspapers
Mixed paper
Aluminum and/or steel cans
Plastic bottles
Plastic six pack rings
Nickel-Cadmium rechargeable batteries
Laser printer and ink-jet printer cartridges
Step Five

Develop a collection system plan





Points of collection
Type of collection containers
Movement and handling
Storage
Materials pickup
Step Six

Educate everyone in the school
about the recycling program







Logo
Assembly
Contests
Classroom lessons
Posters
Training
Displays
Step Seven

Monitor


Measure success



Recycling containers for wrong
materials or trash in the bins
Amount of recyclables collected
Reduction of garbage going into
garbage dumpster
Sustain the program

Ongoing education
Step Eight

Compost

Leaves

Grass clippings

Cafeteria waste
Step Nine

Purchase school supplies made
from recycled materials
Step Ten

Rewards

Recognize classes

Individuals

Awards
MDEQ Assistance





Information on local recyclers
Information on recycling collection and
storage containers
Recycling signs for use with collection and
storage containers
Grants for establishing school recycling
programs
Recycling and composting education
materials and videos
For Information Contact:
Larry Estes @ 601/961-5036
or [email protected]
or
John David Burns @601/961-5005
[email protected]