Rubbish and recycling

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Waste education for schools

More information on minimising waste in schools

The cafeteria

Get the cafeteria staff and students into the habit of separating their food scraps into the following categories:

Worm food:

• left-over food scraps
• vegetables and fruit peelings
• tea bags, coffee bags, coffee grounds
• eggshells
• bread scraps and leftover cereal, biscuit crumbs
• plate scrapings
• paper hand towels.

Remember: no onions, citrus peelings, peppers, milk products, or spicy foods. Only small amounts of meat, cooked food and flour products.

See Worm composting for lots more information about what it involves and getting started.

Compost heap:

As above plus onions, citrus peelings, peppers. Meat, fish and cooked food are not recommended as they could attract pests.

See Create your own compost for information about free composting courses, what it all involves, order a copy of the "Composting - a how to guide" and lots more .......

Rubbish:

• onions, citrus peelings, peppers, meat or spicy foods if you have a worm farm instead of general compost heap
• plastic food wrapping.

Recycling:

• rinse all containers before recycling to cut down on smells, germs and to improve the quality of the product being recycled
• tin cans
• plastic milk, yoghurt, and food containers with number 1 to 7 in the recycle symbol which can't be used in the art room or elsewhere in the school
• glass containers, which can't be used in the art room etc.

See Recycling for lots more information about what can go into your recycling bin. Contact us if you would like to check you eligibility and order some recycling bins for your school.

The computer lab:

Contrary to the other classrooms in your school, we all know that computer equipment quickly becomes obsolete and often needs to be upgraded long before the equipment breaks down. On top of this, computer designers know how quickly technology progresses so only design the equipment to last five years at most. E-waste is harmful to the environment and human health if it ends up in the landfill.

So what can you do about it? Well, there are now companies that are taking old computer and electronic equipment and either refurbishing them for use for charities in poorer countries or dismantling them to retrieve the reusable metals and components.

Back to Waste education for schools for more about e-waste.