6 denver public schools recycles!...trays, blocks or packing peanuts. 6. no pencils, pens or...

DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles | [email protected] | Call 311 (720-913-1311) and ask for Solid Waste Management

DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLSRECYCLES!

SPRING 2016

CLASSROOM RECYCLING

1. CREATE A “WASTE STATION:” Place your purple classroom recycling bin immediately next to your classroom’s trash can and remove any other trash cans from your classroom. Having one designated “waste station” encourages everyone to properly sort materials, instead of just tossing materials in the closest trash can.

2. DISPLAY POSTERS: Make sure there is a recycling poster above your recycling bin for everyone to see. This will make it easier for students and staff to remember what can and cannot be recycled.

3. MONITOR MATERIALS: If you see materials that don’t belong in the recycling bin, bring your students together to remove non-recyclable items (i.e. contaminants).

4. MAKE IT PART OF YOUR CLASSROOM’S CULTURE: Make recycling the expected norm and energize your students to take part. Also, explore incorporating recycling into you lessons. Denver Recycles has several prepared recycling related lesson plans you can use in your classroom.

A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO RECYCLING IN THE CLASSROOM

CALLING ALL TEACHERS! Denver Recycles needs your help instilling good recycling behaviors in students. As a trusted role model, leader and mentor to your students, you are uniquely qualified to promote positive recycling habits and share with students how their efforts have a positive impact on our environment.

Did you know that of the estimated 18 million pounds of waste generated by Denver Public Schools in 2015, only 17% was recycled? With full support from teachers like you, we know this number can be much higher.

Your participation and assistance is critical in educating students on the materials that can be recycled and ensuring that materials get into the correct containers for disposal. To assist you in this endeavor, Denver Recycles provides classroom recycling bins and recycling posters for every classroom and office. If you don’t have these recycling supplies in your classroom, please talk to your school’s Recycling Coordinator or contact Denver Recycles.

Please help us make the DPS recycling program the best it can be! Additional tools for maximizing recycling in your classroom are listed to the right.

Printed on 100% recycled paper

A Recycling Newsletter for DPS Employees • Spring 2016

SIMPLE STEPS FOR SUCCESS4

CLASSROOM WASTE STATIONANATOMY

t happens at the end of every school year. Students somehow

seem to store a year’s worth of past exam papers and art projects in their lockers, cubbies or desks, and it quickly becomes a major undertaking to get this material

cleaned out before the end of the year. Even in the chaos of the end of the school year, there’s no reason for material to needlessly get thrown away. After all, most of the material cleaned out of classrooms is paper

and perfectly recyclable. To assist with higher volumes of material at the end of the year, Denver Recycles offers extra recycling collection to support schools in getting this material recycled. To request extra collections for your school, contact

your school’s Recycling Coordinator or contact Denver Recycles directly. This year extra school collections can be scheduled during the week of May 23 to May 27, and again during the week of June 6 to June 10.

To assist with higher volumes of materials at the end of the year, Denver Recycles offers extra recycling collection to support schools in getting this material recycled.

FOR A MORE DETAILED END-OF-YEAR CLEAN-OUT PLANNING GUIDE FOR YOUR SCHOOL, PLEASE CONTACT DENVER RECYCLES.

prepare for the PAPER HOARDERS!

I

To conquer end-of-the-year waste at your school, consider enhancing your recycling efforts by organizing a clean-out event. It’s never too early to start planning, and we’ve included some tips for implementing a successful clean-out event at your school:

■ Appoint a clean-out event leader. This can be one person, such as a staff member, or a student club, such as a school “Green Team.” The leader will take on promoting, preparing and monitoring the clean-out event.

■ Include the school’s Facility Manager and administrative staff in the planning process. Discuss and determine together when the event will be held, where waste station are to be set up, how many collection containers will be needed, and how reusable items will be collected.

■ Consider saving large boxes prior to your clean-out event for collecting reusable items. Your school’s kitchen is a good place to look for extra boxes.

■ Ensure signs are placed up around the school and collection containers are properly labeled.

■ Use school-wide announcements to inform everyone about how they can participate in the clean-out event.

■ Enlist parents and volunteers help to monitor recycling stations during the clean-out event days.



YES, RECYCLE

r Aluminum cans & foil

r Cardboard

r Colored paper

r Construction paper

r Glass bottles & jars

r Juice boxes

r Junk mail

r Magazines & catalogs

r Newspaper

r Notebook & office paper

r Paper bags

r Paperboard

r Paper folders

r Paper milk & juice cartons

r Pizza boxes

r Plastic food and beverage containers labeled ♳–♹

r Steel cans

1. No soft plastic items, such as plastic bags, wrappers or straws.

2. No laminated sheets of paper.

3. No non-recyclable papers, such as paper cups, paper towels, napkins or tissues.

4. No food or liquids.

5. No foam products, such as Styrofoam® cups, trays, blocks or packing peanuts.

6. No pencils, pens or markers.

7. No plastic toys, such as building blocks or action figures.

HOW TO RECYCLE SPECIAL MATERIALS THAT DON’T BELONG IN YOUR PURPLE CARTSDPS Facility Management has relationships with several contracted vendors that can recycle special items not accepted in the purple carts and bins.

FOR EXAMPLE: ■ Hardcover and paperback books;

■ Electronics, such as computers, monitors, and televisions;

■ Appliances, such as refrigerators and microwaves; and

■ Hazardous materials, such as paints, batteries, chemicals, and fluorescent bulbs (CFLs and tubes).

For additional information and instructions on getting the above items collected and recycled, please contact Joni Rix with DPS Facility Management ([email protected] or 720-423-1903).

TO KEEP OUT OF THE PURPLE CARTS7COMMON SCHOOL ITEMS

DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLSSPRING 2016

DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles | [email protected] 311 (720-913-1311) and ask for Solid Waste Management

SCHEDULE A NEW-AND-IMPROVED RECYCLING ASSEMBLY:

Denver Recycles offers complimentary school assembly presentations. These presentations offer a great way to review the importance of recycling, as well as an overview of the school recycling guidelines. Contact Denver Recycles to schedule a presentation at your school.

SCHEDULE A RECYCLING EDUCATION CENTER TOUR:

Through our partners at Waste Management, Inc., free tours of the WM Recycling Education Center are available to all schools. Their Recycling Education Center located in North-Central Denver is full of hands-on recycling activities and exhibits appropriate for all ages, and is great for class field trips or for Green Team excursions.

Contact Waste Management at [email protected] to schedule a tour today. Tours are currently available on Tuesdays from 8am-5pm and the first Saturday of the month from 8am-11:30am. All tours are scheduled on a first come, first served basis.

Printed on 100% recycled paper

GO BIG!Congratulations to Lowry Elementary and Isabella Bird Community School for launching lunchroom composting programs in early 2016. Since adding composting services, Lowry’s lunchroom has gone from making 13-14 bags of trash per day to just 2-3 bags! The numbers show that each DPS school that participates in the Denver Composts lunchroom composting program is able to keep an additional 100 pounds of waste out of the landfill (on average) each school day. Composting at school therefore conserves resources and helps to keep harmful greenhouse gases out of our atmosphere.

There are currently 25 schools composting in their lunchrooms. Way to go DPS!

To learn more about starting a compost program at your school, please contact Denver Recycles. Please Note: While Denver Solid Waste Management is continuing to expand the compost collection service boundaries, some DPS schools are not currently located within eligible compost service areas.

RECYCLING SPOTLIGHT

Here are two great ways to take your recycling education to the next level:

THE ANNUAL COLORADO ASSOCIATION FOR RECYCLING POSTER CONTEST IS HERE! Please encourage students to submit entries that showcase their artistic talent and their commitment to the environment. Prizes are awarded to students and schools!

Visit www.cafr.org for more information.

STUDENT OPPORTUNITY

RECYCLING POSTER CONTESTENTRIES DUE BY APRIL 29, 2016

6 denver public schools recycles!...trays, blocks or packing peanuts. 6. no pencils, pens or...

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