Tel:0161 766 3330
Open Mon-Fri 9.30am-3.30pm
Quiet down please...school's in session and the bell is for me, not for you!
Today's lesson is on the importance of waste management in UK schools. We know you juggle a million things, from lesson organising, parents evening, stopping yourself pulling out the last few hairs listening to 30 screaming children all the way to those desperate coffee runs, and waste management might be the last thing on your lesson plan.
Well fear not, because we are here to help you tick 1 more thing off your to-do list.
We have put together the ultimate waste guide to give you all the tips and tricks you need to get your schools waste turned into a star pupil! You may not be able to control the children, but, at least your waste will be A*.
In this guide, we will be giving you the rundown on: What type of waste a school creates, School recycling best practices, How to carry out a waste audit, Waste reduction strategies and many more for the education sector...
So settle down at the back, get your reading caps on and turn to page 46 in your textbooks.
Food Waste: Hot Dogs, Cheeseburgers, Chips unless Jamie Oliver has got rid of them as well!
General Waste: Food Wrappers, Cups, packaging from stationary & in some schools E-cig boxes in some schools (Won't someone think about the children)
Glass & Plastic Waste: The usual crowd: Bottles, Jars, Glasses, Plastic Containers.
Paper & Cardboard: Forms, Documents, Rotas. All these could be excessive print outs that need waste disposal, alongside any cardboard from packaging such as Cereal, Juice etc.
Recycling practices in Schools are not only a crucial for your overall waste management but also a great way to teach children of all ages about the importance of taking care of the earth.
Here, we outline practical steps and strategies for minimising waste within school settings, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and awareness. Here are some wonderful recycling practices:
Setting up recycling stations and conducting waste audits - Set up designated recycling stations with clearly labelled bins in your primary schools or secondary schools. Make sure each bin has clear labels. To interest your pupil, you could create specific recycling bins for each house or year group in the school, with the house/year collecting the most recycling each month winning a prize or treat.
Composting for school gardens and facilities - Create a school compost & encourage students to get involved in a composting programme. This teaches your students the positive impact of composting, reducing and re-purposing waste. It also proves that it isn't just a great, big useless pile of manure...even though it is!
Creative recycled art projects - Ask pupils to bring in old cereal, shoe or other types of boxes, cardboard, paper, plastic etc that were going to be thrown away. Then use these to set competitions for each school year to produce an art piece, with the winner getting a prize or house points.
Coordinate with Local Recycling Facilities - Work with local recycling facilities to understand what materials they accept and how the recycling process works. This knowledge can guide the school's recycling initiatives.
Consider a Zero-Waste Goal: Set long-term goals for the school to work towards achieving zero waste, challenging the community to continually improve recycling efforts.
Host Recycling Drives: Organise periodic recycling drives for specific items such as electronics, batteries, or clothing. This helps divert items that are not typically handled in regular recycling bins.
Implementing energy-efficient practices - Install energy-efficient lighting, heating, and cooling systems. Saving money and the planet.
As always, nobody is perfect and it is all a process, so be kind to yourself, keep practicing and working out what is right for your setting.
Transitioning to digital communication and paperless practices - Its a digital world baby, we are just living in it! Moving over to all digital may seem scary and a big step, but it is a crucial and costly part of waste management in schools. By switching to digital, not only do you reduce the amount of paper waste created but you have a more efficient way of working with less chance of error or miscommunication.
Reducing food waste in school cafeterias - We know these growing little humans like to eat & we aren't saying starve them. However, you could look at creating leftover food that you can sell, or at the end of each day why not offer out leftover waste for children to take home to parents. This could be at a reduced price or if you are feeling generous, give it out for free.
Importance of repair and maintenance for school facilities - 1 janitor can't polish a turd, we think that is how the saying goes anyway. If the school is in a high standard of working order and regular repairs and maintenance are carried out, this helps reduce the amount of waste created, and stops unnecessary spending having to completely replace something that could have been fixed properly 6 months ago.
Reducing single-use plastics in schools - Ditch the single-use plastics which are thrown away or lost up a child's nose. Instead encourage students to bring in their own reusable cutlery, made from Bamboo or other eco-friendly material.
Conducting regular waste reviews - Regularly review how often and how much waste is being generated. This points you in the first step to identifying which waste stream needs to be looked at and improved.
Promote reusable containers and cutlery - Introducing reusable containers & cutlery will help to reduce the amount of single use plastic thrown away bringing down your costs, as less waste means you will need less frequent collections.
Encouraging waste collection services and next steps - Search for the correct waste services for your schools. A proper waste management strategy can really cut the costs of waste in the long run, and with it being a requirement from local authorities anyway, why not develop a plan for your school's waste and jump knee deep in it. Get your staff involved to help your school find the right service that is as flexible as you have to be with 600 children sprinting around.
There will be plenty more tips, tricks & practices out there to help reduce waste in your School, so get exploring!
If you are ever wanting more ideas, why not ask your Parents & Caregivers? You could also ask their advice on any tips that they use at home.
When you keep demonstrating to Children, Parents, Investors & your community that you are environmentally aware with your waste management practices, it not only creates a positive brand image, but, it could potentially persuade some parents to side with you when picking out a School for their child / children.
Waste Audits, Stock Audits, Classroom Audits, Any Audits....Nobody wants to do them and deep down nobody sees the point in them!
However, carrying out a waste audit is a great way to gain more understanding of the waste that you are creating and once you understand your waste then you can look at ways to save money!
Waste audits give you a chance to identify any areas of improvements, the types and amount of waste & points you in the right direction in regards to developing better strategies to reduce your waste.
There may be a million steps that you are running through having to do in your head, but, trust us, it is simpler then you think. Follow our step by step guide below, so that you know exactly where to start and what to do!
1. Gather Supplies: Hoard those supplies together! You will need the following:
2. Form a Team: Recruit help from your school staff, parents and school children to assist with your audit.
3. Choose a Sample: Now you have your recruits, time to choose a sample:
4. Collection of Waste: Get the lifting on and your legs bent:
5. Sort the Waste: Like Harry Potters sorting hat:
6. Results, Results Results:
7. Identify Areas for Improvement:
Now that you have your results, look for areas of improvements in your School. This could be::
8. Action Plan - Lights, Camera, Action:
9. Raise Awareness:
10. Monitor Progress:
The first audit will always be the one where you may feel a bit overwhelmed or wondering the reasons for doing it, but, we promise, once you have completed your 1st audit, you will start to spot the patterns/places for improvements and really see the impact of this.
By conducting regular waste audits you are becoming more environmentally responsible as well as showing your pupils valuable lessons about waste recycling.
We totally understand that when you have 500 Year 3s to Year 11s to watch over, the last thing on your mind is to checking if that banana peel and yesterdays lettuce has been thrown away.
However, composting can be a fantastic way to introduce recycling food/organic waste into your School, and in the long run help you save money, reduce waste and teach children the wonders of what, how and why you should compost.
The Basics: Start with the basics. Explain to the children that composting is a transformation of food scraps and garden waste into soil that helps plants grow big and strong.
Set Up a Composting Area: Create a composting area within your outdoor space. Use a small, child-friendly compost bin or a designated corner where children can easily access it.
What Goes In: Teach the kids about compostable items, like fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, leaves, and small branches. Encourage them to collect these items during activities like snack time or outdoor play.
What Stays Out: Explain what doesn't belong in the compost, such as meat, dairy, and pet waste. Kids should understand that these items can make the compost stinky and attract unwanted critters.
Composting Routine: Establish a routine for the children to add their compostable to the bin. Make it a daily or weekly task, depending on your nursery schedule.
Observation and Learning: Encourage children to observe the composting process. Show them how the materials change over time, from scraps to dark, crumbly soil. It's like a science experiment!
Art Projects: Get creative by hosting composting into art projects. Children can create compost themed artwork made from natural materials.
Celebrate Composting Milestones: - Celebrate milestones, like when the compost is ready to use in the garden. It's a great opportunity to throw a mini party!
Parental Involvement: - Engage parents by sharing your composting adventures through newsletters or workshops. Encourage them to compost at home too...parents are important to waste education!
Encouraging sustainability in your School comes with a plethora of benefits. While some of these sustainable practices may take a bit of effort to implement, the long-term rewards are immeasurable.
Find the best methods that work for your School or why not select the ones which you know that you will be able to implement the quickest and easiest.
We don't expect you to go out and change your whole school system in a matter of days, but, by selecting one of the below, you will start to see the benefits to your school and students!
Sustainable procurement through bulk purchasing - Buying in bulk has a number of benefits on your waste and environment: Reduced packaging waste, waste monitoring becomes easier, less frequent deliveries, easier to make changes and more sustainable choices when you bulk buy as you have the option to review each time you run out of that particular item.
Donation and reuse programs for textbooks and supplies - Set up a donating and reuse program so that any old textbooks, supplies, clothes, bags, uniforms etc can be reused again, promoting a circular economy, whilst also saving you money on the amount of waste thrown away & teaching children the importance of reusing and donating.
Organising green events and fundraisers - Host yearly fundraisers or look at different green events to sponsor.
Engaging parents in sustainability efforts - Get the parents of your pupils on board. Send home newsletters and updates to invite parents and carers to get involved in your sustainability efforts. For instance: Reusable Containers, Waste Free Lunches, Zero Waste Day.
Celebrating Earth Day and environmental holidays - Make extra effort to celebrate environmental holidays and create themed days or weeks around this. Set the days in your calendar so that you don't forget. This is fantastic way of sub-consciously planting these dates in your pupils heads for the future. Look at you, the schools Derren Brown.
Storytelling and recommended books for sustainability education - Educate your younger students through storytelling and sending books home with them to read at night. For the older children, try hard hitting videos on Youtube or Dispatches to show the impact of waste production on our eco-system.
Inviting guest speakers and using online resources - Hunt down inspirational, educational speakers that can show and demonstrate the impact of a sustainable future for your institution.
Exploring certifications and recognition for sustainability - Once you have started on your journey of sustainability, make sure you get the recognition you deserve. Search for certificates and other awards.
Involving the community in school sustainability - Host community days or attend community days with some of your students. Invite eco-warriors from your community. Getting your community involved in your sustainability efforts can create a more eco-friendly environment for all.
Energy conservation measures for schools - We aren't talking about the teachers having to sneak into the staff room for a respite from the little monsters that lurk outside the classroom, even though we can guarantee there aren't enough measures in the world that can help with that. We mean the other energy conserving, for instance, having pupils make energy-saving pledges, such as turning off lights, fans, and computers when not in use. Record these achievements on a wall chart.
Learning is not limited to just children; there are also opportunities for adults to enhance their knowledge.
If you are seeking ways to improve the skills and knowledge of your employees, we have compiled a helpful list of eco-friendly techniques for you to explore.
It's important to understand that individuals learn in unique ways, so finding the right approach for you and your staff is essential.
Using eco-friendly art and craft materials - Source art and craft supplies that are eco-friendly and sustainable. Prioritise materials that are recyclable on renewable.
Offering video tutorials and hands-on workshops - How to video tutorials and hands-on workshops are a great way of expanding your staff knowledge on eco friendly subjects. This could be anything from Safe Waste Disposal, Recycling techniques etc...
Developing an eco-friendly curriculum - Look on the WWF website here: https://www.wwf.org.uk/get-involved/schools/resources. They have curriculum on a number of eco-friendly matters.
Recommending supportive tools and equipment - There are plenty of supportive tools out there to help your staff gain more knowledge and support on eco-friendly practices. WWF, Kinderly, Green Schools Project just to name a few.
Water conservation practices - Introduce hands on waste activities. Sorting recycling, collecting rubbish etc. You could set a target for how much waste is collected and try to break it each week.
Using visual displays for sustainability awareness - Visual displays serve as powerful tools to raise awareness, educate, and inspire a collective commitment to sustainability within your school organisation.
Showcasing case studies of successful school sustainability initiatives - https://www.greenschoolsproject.org.uk/ is a perfect place to start as they have a lot of fantastic tips and case studies on becoming a waste free school. They also provide free eco-friendly resources.
Providing training manuals, guides, and visual materials - Support all your staff with visual and on hand training materials so that they can easily have a refresher on eco-friendly guides.
Our service is A*!
We offer a flexible weekly, fortnightly or monthly transparent waste solution, that changes with your business, so that you can rest easy knowing that your waste management services are as flexible as your school has to be!
We understand the waste management needs of Primary & Secondary schools. We know that day-to-day school activity is a non-stop environment of chaos, where you don't have time to sit down, think or breathe.
So, the last thing you should have to be doing is spending 2 hours trying to speak to your waste management company to collect stinking bins, or dealing with waste companies who refuse to collect your waste until next week, even though you are going to have 5 times the amount by then!
Here are a few reasons why you should use us for your recycling and waste management:
Don't just take our word for it though, throughout our 7 years of being in business, we have received over 1000 verified customers reviews who have rated us 4.9 out of 5 on our service & we have never been put on report!
To have a peek out our reviews, click here: https://busybins.co.uk/reviews
So come and take part in the service with a smile.
Contact us today at: www.busybins.co.uk
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time out to read our guideline on waste in Schools.
By turning your school into a shining example of waste reduction, you can instil important values in your students and make a meaningful impact on the environment and your community. Creating pupils who know that a cleaner planet starts with a cleaner mindset (Don't be dirty now)
Hopefully, this blog this has ignited the fire in your belly to get out there and inspire your students in reducing school waste, and more importantly save you time and your school some money.
Congratulations on your graduation from the School of Waste – now go out there and make a big difference!
To read our privacy policy CLICK HERE
