A grand Earth Day at Dingeman Elementary

IN THE NEWS: Three "R's" at Dingeman Elementary School in Scripps Ranch are Reducing, Recycling and Restoring for environmentally conscious campus.

News coverage

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Monroe Clark Middle School hopes to increase recycling

Students at Monroe Clark Middle School are hoping their parents will be recycling more, and the school is now accepting the recycled materials. Watch video»

Student art featured in San Diego's 'Dare to Reuse' 2014 calendar

Students from Encanto, Field, and Holmes elementary, Golden Hill K-8, Mann and Muirlands middle, and Kearny High school schools created winning art for the City of San Diego’s Dare to Reuse 2014 calendar, a free calendar available online for download.


The City’s Environmental Services Department sponsors the annual contest calling on students in grades 4-12 to create art made only from "found object" materials – items that have already been used and are headed toward recycling. According to the city, The contest and exhibition are made possible through a collaboration of the City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department, the San Diego County Office of Education and the New Children’s Museum. Funding was generously provided by WAXIE Sanitary Supply.

The Dare to Reuse art contest started out as an annual art exhibition for local found-object artists in the San Diego area.

Past pieces have been some of the most creative and thought-provoking artwork in recent years. The exhibition eventually spread as an art contest to school-aged children in 2011, with the online calendar being the first of its kind for the City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department.


Download a PDF copy of the calendar or information on the contest for the 2015 calendar through the Environmental Services Department.

For more information about recycling at your school, please visit the San Diego Unified’s recycling website at www.sandi.net/energy or contact Janet Whited, recycling specialist at 858-637-6268 or jwhited@sandi.net.

Recycling is a way of life at San Diego Unified... and saves taxpayers money

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.

Going green raises money for Pacific Beach schools

IN THE NEWS: Returning students and staff at Kate Sessions Elementary School in Pacific Beach had a surprise waiting for them the first day back at school: a $500 check for the school’s music and arts program from Go Green 4 Education. Read more from the Beach and Bay Press»

Schools’ new recycling program ‘fix’ gets an A for effort

IN THE NEWS: La Jolla public school students are beginning the academic year with a new recycling program that is being adopted at all 180 schools in the San Diego Unified School District. The program comes from Recycle Across America (RAA), a non-profit organization that has seen its recycling enhancements implemented by a number of Fortune 500 companies, in just the two short years of its existence. Read more from the La Jolla Light»

Recycling Stickers Coming Thanks to New Business in San Diego

A grand-opening of a health and beauty store in University Town Center will help environmental education at Spreckels Elementary School and recycling efforts at schools all over San Diego County.

Kiehl's Since 1851, a New York City-based old-world apothecary, officially opened its UTC store on Sept. 20 and as part of the festivities invited students from Spreckels Elementary School in University City. The store-opening promotion invited visitors to bring in recyclable beverage containers, with the proceeds from recycling going to Spreckels's environmental programs. School Board President Dr. John Lee Evans was also on hand.

Kiehl's has partnered with Recycle Across America to fund a massive eco-initiative for the city, which will ensure that over 400 K-12 schools in the City and County of San Diego have standardized labels for their recycling bins, helping the school community improve their recycling efforts. Kiehl's donated $40,000 to the Recycle Across America program to cover the printing costs of the labels. In turn, Recycle Across America will donate labels to schools.

"These labels will help our kids find those recycling bins in their classrooms and school campuses," said Janet Whited, district rubbish and recycling specialist. "We're working to teach our kids good habits and help kids know what waste goes where."

Each school is eligible to receive 150 labels valued at $150. Each includes a picture of the recyclable items accepted; proper labeling on recycling bins help students, staff and visitors easily determine what can and cannot be recycled.

“I couldn’t be prouder that Kiehl’s Since 1851 and our new store at Westfield UTC have funded this project with Recycle Across America, to help San Diego’s schools and students improve their recycling efforts," said Chris Salgardo, President, Kiehl’s USA. "Giving back to our communities is as essential to our company as our skin care products, and this project supports two of our most important causes: the environment and children’s well-being. It’s an honor to help provide the tools that allow the next generation to become true caretakers of the earth and its fragile ecosystems.”

"In these days of tight budget, we really appreciate the donations from Recycle Across America and Kiehl's," she said.

For more information on the district's recycling program, contact Whited at 858-637-6268 or jwhited@sandi.net.

Grant Program Awards Recycling Containers to San Diego Unified

Recycling efforts are being boosted this fall thanks to a significant grant made possible by The Coca-Cola Foundation as the district will receive 60 recycling bins for placement at schools and administrative facilities.

"Through our partnership with Keep America Beautiful, the Coca-Cola Bin Grant Program supports local community recycling efforts across the United States," said Lori George Billingsley, Vice President of Community Relations for Coca-Cola Refreshments. “We are pleased that these bins being placed in schools throughout SDUSD will provide additional opportunities for students and staff to recycle.”

Recipients were chosen by Keep America Beautiful based on a number of criteria including level of need, recycling experience and the ability of applicants to sustain their program in the future.

“These recycling bins will assist the district in achieving our waste reduction and recycling goals, while providing opportunities for school clubs, organizations, and classes to raise much needed funds by recycling,” said Tom Wright, Manager of San Diego Unified’s environmental programs.

“Providing infrastructure for people to recycle on-the-go in our communities is a key component of making recycling a natural thing to do,” said Matthew M. McKenna, president and CEO, Keep America Beautiful. “We are truly grateful for Coca Cola’s support and commitment to recycling, and for its support and commitment of the Bin Grant Program.”

The Bin Grant Program awards recycling bins directly to recipients and leverages volume buying discounts. In its seven years of operation, the Bin Grant Program has placed 29,000 recycling bins in more than 500 communities in 48 states and the District of Columbia. A full list of the spring 2012 Bin Grant recipients and further information about the grant program is available at http://bingrant.org/.

San Diego Unified's recycling effort includes educating students on the benefits of recycling, as well as ensuring that as much of the district's waste material is recycled every day. Visit the recycling website for more information.

$120,000 State Grant Goes To Recycling Programs

Student "green teams" that make sure campuses recycle efficiently will be receiving some help, thanks to a $120,000 grant from the State of California.

CalRecycle, the Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery, awarded the grant that will allow district staff to help expand the programs to all campuses.

School green teams and others encourage students and staff members to recycle as much on their campus as possible. The funds will provide schools with source-separated beverage containers and co-mingling of paper products, bottles and cans.

Not only does the student work help save the environment, it helps put more money in the classroom. By the terms of the district's waste hauling contract, recycling is provided for free, while schools are charged by the dumpster for waste hauling. The more recycling, the fewer dumpsters that need to be filled.

In other news, the Recycling Program has launched "Get Your Green On!", an online blog with recycling tips, student scholarship and involvement opportunities, and other great news. Check it out at http://www.sandi.net/energy

For more information,contact Janet Whited, Recycling Specialist, at (858) 637-6268.