Green & Healthy Tribal school Webinar SeriesPeaks to Prairies Pollution Prevention Center

Peaks to Prairies- who we are A Pollution Prevention Information Center for

EPA Region 8 (MT, WY, ND, SD, UT, CO) One of 8 EPA funded Regional Centers whose

mission is to distribute tools and information to businesses, industries, technical assistance providers, state and tribal government agencies for the purpose of aiding in the practice of pollution prevention

A program under MSU’s Department of Extension – Housing and Environmental Health- Bozeman

Housekeeping

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Presentations will be posted at www.tribalp2.org

Peaks to Prairies Pollution Prevention Center- Tribal Green and Healthy School Workshop

Reduce Your Footprint: Waste Reduction & Recycling in Schools

Overview

Reduce Energy Efficiencies, Paper, Lunch, Air

Pollutants Recycle

Basics (paper, plastic, cardboard etc.), E-waste, Mercury

Special Activities Localized Fundraisers, Earth Day

Strategies for Success

Why Schools are important

Can often be the largest waste generator in town

Students are highly motivated and like ‘hands-on’ important work

Builds a future of well-educated consumers and recyclers by modeling behavior to an age where they are most likely adopt new behaviors for life

Why School Buildings are Important

Commercial buildings and industrial facilities generate about 50 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions.

Energy costs represent a typical school district’s second largest operating expense, after salaries—more than the cost of computers and textbooks combined.

Energy efficiency is vital to schools in the United States. The nation’s 17,450 K-12 school districts spend more than $6 billion annually on energy.

Reductions of 10 percent in energy use can be possible with little or no cost.

Reduce – Energy, water, paper, lunch waste

Energy Conservation and Efficiency at Schools McKinstry – Tim Tolman How can schools be more energy

efficient? What is an energy audit and the process

for conducting an audit? Case studies – Browning School District

Reduce - Paper

Reduce handouts to parents Double side printing or use ½ sheets Daily email announcement and a monthly

or bi-weekly newsletter Encourage email or district website

postings Policy regarding community bulletins

Reduce – No Waste Lunches

Consider a recess followed by lunch schedule

Offer versus Served Program

Say NO to Polystyrene

Provide metal utensils, biodegradable cups and napkins

No more polystyrene trays or plates

Zero Waste Home Lunches

Inform parents on how home lunches can be zero waste Avoid single serving packaging Refillable bottles versus juice boxes and

containers Cloth napkins Re-usable containers Metal utensils Pack it in – Pack it out

Lunch Waste Disposal

Compost and Gardens

Reduce – Water consumption What are the water consumption habits at

your school? Do your faucets drip? Are your bathroom sinks left on? Do you have waterless urinals? Low-flow

toilets? What is your landscaping? Are you using salt versus sand on your

sidewalks?

Reduce – Air pollutants

Institute a no-idling policy Apply this to parents as well as buses

RECYCLE – Basics, E-Waste, bulbs

Recycling – Basic Programs

Paper, Plastic, Cardboard, Aluminum, Glass

Steps to Set up Your Recycling Program1. Form a team

Find out who supports recycling Consider conducting a survey Get permission from principal and include

parents, teachers, facilities staff, cafeteria etc Appoint a committee chair

2. Conduct a waste assessment 3. Goals and Actions

Start small – pick the recyclable material that makes up the highest percentage of your waste stream

Setting up your recycling program4. Figure out where materials will go

Start with you current trash hauler Is there a city recycling program? Are there private recycling companies? Consider a district wide collection or can you

work with a local business?

5. Determine how they will be stored6. Work through your in-school collection

system Who and how often?

Recycling – Printer Cartridges

Recycling – E Waste

E-Waste Pollutants

Cadmium – rechargeable computer batteries and monitors

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cabling – circuit boards, cables, connectors

Mercury – lighting devices in flat screen displays

Lead, beryllium, cobalt, silver, gold, palladium…

State Electronics Challenge

In 2009, a Source Reduction Grant was awarded to the NE Recycling Council to introduce and support the State Electronics Challenge in EPA Region 8 Good resource for school districts to help manage their

electronics responsibly (i.e. purchasing green computers, energy conservation , proper recycling at the end of their useful life).

Voluntary & Free – entities join as Partners Partners commit to take action to reduce the environmental

footprint of the computers/electronic commitment In return, they receive technical assistance/tools As far as I know this program will be continued

SEC 2010 Results

In its third year, the SEC expanded from its Northeast roots to serve state, regional, tribal, and local governments in the Rocky Mountain and Great Lake States.  The program grew from 33 Partners in 10 states at the close of 2009, to 48 Partners in 16 states in December 2010.   At the end of April, there were 63 Partners!  In 2010, Partner activities resulted in significant environmental benefits.  These included:

Saving enough energy to power 5,656 households/year

Avoiding greenhouse gases emissions equivalent to removing 5,535 cars from the road/year

Avoiding the generation of 412,614 lbs of hazardous waste.

Recycling - Mercury

Special events – opportunities for change

Party Green

Disposable cups –vs- Reusable cups and mugs

Bottled water –vs- Pitchers, water stations Disposable paper plates and utensils –vs-

reusable Tub-o-Dishes Garbage cans –vs- Recycling Bin Name tags –vs- Reusable name badges Local &/or healthy foods –vs- Sugar &

processed

Special Activities- Localized Fundraisers Community art-market Farm to School Fundraiser Meat / egg shares Yard sales/ auctions Local business services or items

Special Activities – Earth Day Recycle week contest – bring awareness

to the amount of recyclable materials entering the waste stream

Re-cycle / re-use drive – collect cell phones, printer cartridges, batteries

Waste audits – conducted by students Bike / walk to school Non-toxic cleaner parties – make and

test against conventional cleaners

Strategies for Success

Start with a Waste Assessment A general way of looking at a school’s

waste stream 1. Preliminary questions2. Site Tour3. Interviews Keeping these questions in mind

throughout: Why do we purchase this? Can we use less of it or use it more efficiently? Can we reuse it, recycle it, or compost it?

The goal of conducting a waste assessment is to: Document the current waste

management system. Estimate the types of wastes generated. Identify and prioritize waste reduction,

reuse, recycling and composting opportunities.

Outline a plan of action. Identify measures of success and track

program progress. Make program adjustments as necessary.

Name of School: Key Contact:Direct Phone number/extension: Email:

Date:

Number of students in the school: Grade levels: Number of teachers: Number of teacher/staff work areas and break rooms:Number of administrators and other staff: Cafeteria: Has a kitchen? Yes NoConcession Stand? Yes NoVending Machines - How many and where are they located? Location 1: Number: Aluminum cans Plastic bottles Milk cartons Other Location 2: Number: Aluminum cans Plastic bottles Milk cartons Other Location 3: Number: Aluminum cans Plastic bottles Milk cartons Other Are special or hazardous wastes produced by the school? (Such as in the Art rooms, Ceramics Lab, Jewelry Making Shop, Wood Shop, Automotive Shop, Photography Lab, Vocational Labs, etc.) Yes

No If yes, see page 8.

Custodial service Key Contact: Direct Phone:Email: In-house Contracted Frequency of in-school waste collection: Daily Every other day Weekly Other: Waste Hauler: Key Contact: Phone: Email: In-house Municipal service Contracted/Private hauler

Cafeteria Information Key Contact:Direct Phone number/extension: Email:How many meals are served each day?

For Breakfast?: for Lunch:

Do students choose what they want or is food served with no choice? Choice No Choice

How is food served? Reusable plates Paper plates

Polystyrene (Styrofoam) plates No plates used Reusable cups/bowls Paper cups/bowls Polystyrene (Styrofoam) cups/bowls No cups/bowls used Reusable trays Paper trays

Polystyrene (Styrofoam) trays No trays usedOther: How are drinks served? Paper-cartons Plastic bottles (#1 PET) Plastic bottles (#2 HDPE) Glass containers Bulk dispenser, using plastic cups Bulk dispenser, using paper cups Bulk dispenser, using reusable, washable glasses Other:

If using polystyrene trays, how many trays are used each day?

What types of utensils are used? Reusable DisposableAre drinking straws provided? Yes

No

How are condiments (including salt and pepper) served? Bulk dispensers Individual packets Combination of both Describe: Do students have access to the napkin holders or is one napkin provided per meal? Free access One per meal

What types and amounts of packaging is the food delivered in? (Example: meat comes into the cafeteria wrapped in clear plastic bags, reusable tubs, etc.): Do vegetables come in tin cans? What size and how many cans are used each day? How are cheeses and lunch meats packaged?Is bread delivered as individually wrapped loaves?List any individually wrapped items served such as chips, muffins, desserts etc?About how much food waste is generated in the cafeteria each day?Number of garbage bags each day (Specify bag size):From cafeteria: From kitchen:

Strategies for Success – It’s all about relationships Build a team and designate leaders Students – cater to young and older Teachers – natural leaders and the key

facilitator of recycling programs and curriculum tie-ins

Obtain support from your School Board, superintendents, and principals That support is critical for enacting lasting

change by establishing policies for purchasing, cleaning, recycling etc.

Building and maintenance staff are a critical part of many of these discussions

Parents and Community

Educate your children- build these principals into the culture of your school family

Incorporate the science of climate change, watershed processes, water quality, ecosystem functioning into your curriculum

Inspire change through reading assignments

Encourage action through planned activities and clubs

Incentives Save your school money Grant Sources

State Environmental Organization and US EPA EPA R8 Resource Conservation Challenge Funds - Ben Bents (4

priority areas: MSW Recycling, Greening Electronics, Industrial Materials Recycling, Priority Chemicals Reduction)

EPA R8 Source Reduction Grants – Linda Walters EPA HQ Innovation Initiative (IWG Grant) - Ben Bents EPA Grants Homepage www.epa.gov/region08/grants/

http://americasgreenestschool.com/ USDA periodically has rural development funds

www.rurdev.usda.gov SEC Challenge

Award Programs & support from the school community

Peaks to Prairies Pollution Prevention Center

Montana State UniversityMyla Kelly – Coordinator406-994-6948myla.kelly@montana.edu

www.peakstoprairies.org