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Success Story: Carl Sandburg Elementary School
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Carl Sandburg Elementary
(click image to enlarge)
Recycling poster that shows what can and cannot be recycled. |
School District: Lake Washington
School Location: Kirkland
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: October 2007
Level one of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2009
Waste Reduction and Recycling
- The school increased its recycling rate from 18 percent to 43 percent.
- The recycling rate increase is due to educating students and staff about recycling, changing from disposable polystyrene lunch trays to reusable baskets, and adding milk cartons, plastic bottles and aluminum cans to the lunchroom recycling program.
- Recycling containers provided by the Green Schools Program were added to each classroom for paper, plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
- Recycling containers also are set out at every school event, such as the carnival.
- Parent and student volunteers created large posters listing recycling facts for distribution throughout the school.
- Parent volunteers and staff placed recycling stickers on all recycling containers. Provided by the Green Schools Program, the stickers list what can and cannot be recycled.
- Parent volunteers made presentations to classrooms about why recycling is important, what materials can be recycled and ways to reduce waste at lunch.
- A King County Green Schools Program representative helped to write articles for the PTA newsletter and to make presentations at PTA and staff meetings about waste reduction and recycling.
- The Green Schools team at Carl Sandburg conducted informal classroom recycling bin audits to find out how well teachers and students were recycling. When they found recyclable materials in garbage containers or items in the recycling containers that could not be recycled, classes were reminded about what items can be recycled.
- The school participated in the King County elementary school assembly program and classroom workshops.
- Signs were placed on photocopy machines to promote double-sided photocopying.
- The school newspaper is sent via e-mail, which saves at least one ream of paper per week.
- A Washington Department of Ecology award and PTSA funding helped purchase reusable party ware for classroom parties and environmental books for the school library.
Energy Conservation
- The Green Schools team promoted energy conservation actions, including turning off lights in unoccupied rooms and turning off computers when not in use.
- Since halls are not heated, doors to classrooms now are kept closed.
- Compact fluorescent bulbs were installed where possible.
Awards
- The school won district recognition for decreasing energy use by five percent.
For more information about this school’s participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:
Susan Vossler, parent
vosslerm1@comcast.net
Christi Damico, parent
Christi.damico@comcast.net
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