Did you know the majority of waste generated in classrooms and even
lunch courts is recyclable or can be turned into compost, saving taxpayers $34,000 a month? As the nation
celebrates America Recycles Day on Nov. 15, San Diego Unified students
are taking the lead in recycling by participating in campus
environmental clubs, Green Teams, Planet Protectors clubs, student body
recycling efforts, and more.
These
recycling ambassadors encourage students and staff at their school to
recycle paper, cardboard, beverage containers, rigid plastics, metal,
and more. All recyclables can be mixed together in the recycling bins on
campus.
Some schools have even set a goal to create “Zero Waste” and are
composting lunch and cafeteria scraps in their school garden! Through
these efforts, the district is able to divert more than 240 tons of material
per month from landfill disposal when school is in session. That saves
our district and taxpayers more than $34,000 per month in disposal costs, not
to mention saving valuable resources.
When students and staff
recycle and compost at school and at home, it means that industry
doesn’t have to chop down, extract or mine to collect more raw materials
for making the things we use every day.
San Diego Unified doesn’t stop there when it comes to waste
diversion. In addition to the mixed recycling program available at
schools and district offices, programs are in place for diverting scrap
metal, wood waste, pallets, landscape waste, construction and demolition
debris, electronics, and shredded documents. District batteries and
fluorescent lamps (universal waste) are also recycled and disposed of
properly.
For more information about America Recycles Day, check out
www.americarecyclesday.org. For information and resources for recycling
at your school, please visit the district’s recycling website at
www.sandi.net/energy or contact Janet Whited, recycling specialist,
auxiliary services, at 858-637-6268 or jwhited@sandi.net.