Recycling in your school

Recycling in your school

Schools can have a significant environmental impact. There are numerous ways for schools to reduce their carbon footprint, ranging from eco-friendly meals to the rubbish placed in their bins. When you add a few of them together, you begin to make more than just a small contribution to a brighter future.

To support you in your mission to go green at your school, we've compiled a list of ways you can help recycle in your school.

Use plastic-free supplies

To continue with recycling in school, one important factor to consider is using plastic-free supplies, and instead using recyclable materials.

Supplies SBMs must stock up on use plastic packaging. This impacts negatively on the environment and due to the amount of stock needed, it contributes massively towards schools' plastic usage.

SBMs need to make a change and select their school supplies carefully with the environment in mind. Over 40% of plastic is single-use and school supplies packaged in plastic contributes to this number. SBMs should try and purchase supplies that are packaged in recyclable materials to use less plastic. Also, SBMs must consider buying recycled material supplies.

Without a doubt, your school goes through a lot of paper. Supplies such as eco pencils, eco pens, and eco notepads are the best school supplies to switch to as these are the most ordered due to them being essentials. These products are all made from recyclable materials and the pens are made from 86% recycled plastic. Using products like these will significantly help you achieve a greener school and will be a huge step in the right direction.

Make recycling easy

Recycling is one of the easiest and quickest wins any school can have when looking to cut its carbon footprint.

Raising awareness and shining a spotlight on recycling and its importance is one thing.

Make sure recycling isn’t an inconvenience for anyone in your school. If you haven’t already, make sure you convert as many of your school’s bins into ones with separate recycling compartments. Wherever you can get them, add a recycling bin and remove any excuses people might have not to recycle their waste.

Water fountains are another essential purchase. Bottled water is one of the most damaging daily consumables of them all. Encourage pupils to carry reusable water bottles and dot plenty of water fountains around the school to make it easy for everyone.

Make your school meals eco-friendly

How do your school meals shape the environment? Do they include locally sourced ingredients, or are they shipped in a lorry from the other side of the country? See if you can support local businesses and bring some fresh local produce into your school meals.

Create a school compost

Setting up compost at school is a fun, hands-on activity for pupils as well as reducing the school’s organic waste. This can be used on the school grounds or even to create a community vegetable plot.

If you’ve got a school garden, nothing is more eco-friendly than treating it with your own food waste. Start a school compost and not only will you reduce waste, but you’ll also do wonders for the plants in your garden. If you don’t have use for it in school, you can donate to a local allotment instead.

Training for all staff members

You’re not likely to get far with recycling in school if you don’t have the full support of your staff members. You need to set the best example possible and hope your actions and attitudes permeate down through the rest of the school.

To get that ball rolling, you might need to hold a quick training session with staff. Let them know your plans for improving recycling in the school, what role they can play, and the overall importance of the project. Tailor your sessions depending on the staff too – a teacher can make a positive impact in a different way to the catering staff.

SBMs must consider small and large changes within the school to recycle more. It is imperative for the environment to reduce and reuse all plastics whilst finding plastic-free alternatives. SBMs need to set an example to their staff and pupils by implementing changes and educating everyone on why changes need to be made and why recycling is important. Doing this allows schools to have a greener future and a positive contribution to the environment.

For more tips and information on how to improve your school’s carbon footprint, check out our reduce, reuse and recycle blog.