Special School District Pays Special Attention to the Environment

Recycling at School - School Recycling Success Stories

January 2010

Who knew focusing on responsible waste strategies at school could help students, the environment, and save money at the same time?  Top administrators at the Special School District (SSD) did. In 2008, recycling became a priority.
 
According to a statement from the school district, “It was important to administration that the district be responsible for preserving resources for the future generations that we are so proud to educate.”

This school year, personnel in all SSD schools and buildings are now participating in single stream recycling, which is convenient because all recyclable materials can go into a single container. The student benefit is active participation in the program. It helps teach them the importance of recycling, responsibility, and work skills.

One challenge when implementing single stream recycling is keeping everyone on the same page. Key players first came up with a detailed, district-wide outline for practices and procedures. The strategies unique to their district were developed by John Cary, SSD Superintendent; Joan Zavitsky, SSD Associate Superintendent; Larry Thompson, Director of Facilities; John Ruzas, Purchasing Manager; ABM Janitorial Services, the custodial services company; and Sodexo, the food services company. The administration’s commitment to the recycling program is communicated regularly at meetings.

Posters and fliers were strategically placed in common areas in SSD schools and buildings to promote the program to staff and students. In addition to these reminders, a video about the importance of recycling is currently being developed by students at North Technical High. Upon completion, the video will be made available internally.

A “Green Team” has been established to further incorporate environmental responsibility into the culture at SSD. They hope to accomplish goals such as paper reduction, increased recycled materials procurement, and energy efficiency.