How to Have a Locker Clean-Out

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A great end-of-the-year activity to emphasize the 3R's! This process works for desks, too.

Get multiple group, clubs and organizations within the school to commit to the project.

1. Site to be used for collected items: a low traffic area works best

2. Hall passes for student volunteers

3. Public relations for the event: make sure all staff are aware of the event and understand the purpose

4. Teacher sponsors

Make a list of equipment needed: tarps, trash bags, gloves, a scale, clipboards, paper, pens (to record weights) and a camera to record the FUN.

Include custodial staff in the planning process and to help plan collection and clean up.

Plan a storage area for items collected including to be used later, paper and other recyclables, and items that will be donated

After attendance is taken have student report to their lockers. Each teacher is assigned an area to monitor and is given a large trash bag. Lockers should be cleaned of all loose paper, unused notebooks, library books and food/drink items. Students throw all unwanted items into the trash bag. At the end of the clean-out, take the bags to the collection area. Without the locker clean-out ALL this stuff would have been thrown out!

In the main collection area, place tarps on the floor. Designate a spot for paper and notebooks to be used again, and a spot for paper to be recycled. Other categories that will probably need areas on the tarp: art supplies, pens, pencils, protractors, rulers, books, clothes, aluminum, glass and plastic. REMEMBER: Spiral notebooks, binders and books cannot be recycled in your Abitibi Paper Retriever Bin!

Count and weigh the number of trash bags brought to the collection area and record.

Assign 2-3 volunteers to a trash bag. Empty contents on the floor and separate the items. Make sure everyone handling items are wearing gloves and wash hands after they are done working.

How many bags total were brought to the collection area
What was the total weight of all the bags
How many bags ended up going to the dumpster and how much did they weigh?
What was the weight of the paper that was recycled? Aluminum? Glass?
How many pens and pencils for reuse?
How high was the stack of notebooks collected for reuse? Don't forget to take pictures
How many bags of clothes or shoes?
Record what you did with the reuse items. Some schools put the pens and pencils in the library for use next school year. Some send the materials to poorer nations. Clothing and shoes can be washed and given to Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.
Publicize the results in the school newsletter or website.

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