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Success Story: Islander Middle School
School District: Mercer Island
School Location: Mercer Island
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: February 2008
Level one of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2009
Waste Reduction and Recycling
- Islander Middle School students, with guidance and support from parent Kenlyn Emerson, teachers Cary Spitz and Alasia Heinritz, and principal Mary Jo Budzius, set goals to improve recycling in the lunchroom and eliminate the use of polystyrene lunch trays.
- A student team, the GatorsGoGreen club, was formed. With support from Green Schools Program staff, GatorsGoGreen launched a lunchroom recycling program in the spring of 2008, including a lunchtime assembly and daily announcements and contests.
- After polystyrene trays were replaced by durable trays, the volume of lunchroom garbage was reduced by 50 percent. This means that the school now generates two fewer 25-cubic yard garbage containers annually.
- Islander expects to save over $2,000 per year due to switching from disposable polystyrene trays to durable trays. The utility, purchase and maintenance costs of washing durable trays are expected to be one-third the annual purchase and trash hauling costs of disposable trays.
- Classroom recycling bins and recycling signs were added where needed. Students volunteered to teach others about what is and isn’t recyclable. Parent monitors helped in the lunchroom to support student efforts.
- Parent Kenlyn Emerson and GatorsGoGreen educated district staff, school staff and students about the waste being generated by polystyrene trays. Using models provided by the Green Schools Program, the team compiled data for the district to compare the costs of durable versus disposable trays. The detailed analysis persuaded the district to make the change.
- Students created an education campaign, including “talking trays” that shared facts about the waste created by using disposable trays and the benefits of using durables. Islander shared these resources with the Green Schools Program for use by other Green Schools participants.
- Islander received a grant from the Department of Ecology to help defray the cost of purchasing durable trays.
- GatorsGoGreen team members met with a Green Schools representative to help them develop an education and outreach plan for assisting the local elementary school to improve its lunchroom recycling. They are developing skits, posters, songs and materials that the elementary school can use. The club continues to look for ways to share what they’ve learned with others.
Awards
- Islander Middle School received the King County Earth Hero at School award in 2009.
For more information about the school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:
Cary Spitz, teacher
cary_spitz@misd.wednet.edu
Mary Jo Budzius, principal
Maryjo_budzius@misd.wednet.edu
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