recycling spotlight did you denver public schools … · recycling guidelines. make sure you...
TRANSCRIPT
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
1. REVIEW DENVER RECYCLES’ RECYCLING GUIDELINES. Make sure you recycle all that you can in your classroom or office, and help your students to do the same. Inspire others by setting a good example — it’s easy!
2. GET TO KNOW THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH RECYCLING AT YOUR SCHOOL. Did you know that each DPS school has a designated Recycling Coordinator? This person organizes recycling efforts at your school, serves as contact for Denver Recycles and works closely with the school’s Facilities Management team. If you don’t already know your Recycling Coordinator, ask around! Be sure to thank them for what they do for recycling at your school, and ask them how you can get involved.
3. REDUCE AND REUSE, AND JUST USE LESS “STUFF.” The best way to reduce waste is to not generate it in the first place. Think twice about buying another bottle of water or buying a coffee in a disposable to-go cup. Bring your reusable water bottle or reusable coffee mug instead.
BE AWAREDenver Recycles does not accept plastic bags or plastic wrap of any kind. This includes grocery bags, trash bags, candy wrappers, chip bags, zip bags, shrink wrap, etc. Why? These items are not suitable for single-stream recycling programs. They are considered to be contaminants to the recycling stream and they interfere with the equipment at the processing center. Please do your part to keep these items out of your purple containers.
THE GOOD NEWSMost grocery stores will accept your discarded plastic grocery bags for recycling. Return your plastic bags to these stores, or even better, reduce waste by taking your own reusable bags instead.
www.DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles | [email protected] (720-913-1311) Ask for Solid Waste Management
THE STATE OF RECYCLING IN DPS
Denver Public Schools has partnered with the City & County of Denver since 2009 for the collection of trash, recycling and compost from DPS facilities. Last school year alone, DPS students and staff recycled 1,130 tons of materials that would have
otherwise been landfilled. That’s over 2 million pounds, or nearly 200,000 pounds per school! The total tons kept out of the landfill is growing larger
each year as more schools fine tune their recycling programs and add composting services to their existing recycling services.
DPS is doing a great job of recycling. But, there’s still MUCH more to be
done to reduce waste! The overall DPS recycling rate was 16% for the 2014-2015 school year. That’s right — almost 85% of the materials generated in DPS last year were still sent to the landfill. With
everyone working together, Denver Recycles is confident that DPS can recycle even more!
THE GOOD AND THE BAD
DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLSRECYCLES!
Most craft and construction paper is recyclable! Just remove non-recyclable elements from paper art projects (googly eyes, magnets, plastics, etc.) and recycle.
Art projects with heavy amounts of paint should be discarded in the trash.
In addition, laminated paper, plastic coated paper and tissue paper are not recyclable.
Pizza boxes are recyclable. Just remove food debris and wax paper before recycling. Please note, when boxes are completely saturated with grease, they are no longer recyclable. If your school has a compost collection program, greasy pizza boxes can be added to the green carts.
Plastic bottles and rigid plastic containers labeled #1 through #7 are recyclable. Other plastics such as toys, and non-rigid plastics such as foam, tubes and pouches, are not recyclable in your purple containers.
Printed on 100% recycled paper
DID YOUKNOW?
CONGRATULATIONS! Centennial Elementary, McKinley Thatcher Elementary, Swigert International School and Denver Discovery School have joined the ranks of “All-Star” composting schools by establishing lunchroom composting programs during the 2014-2015 school year! On average, each DPS school with an active composting program is able to keep an additional 100 pounds of waste out of the landfill every school day just by composting.
To learn more about starting a compost program at your school, email [email protected].
RECYCLING SPOTLIGHT
… almost 85% of the materials generated in DPS last
year were still sent to the landfill.{ }
A Recycling Newsletter for DPS Employees • Fall 2015
YES, RECYCLE:
r Aluminum cans & foil
r Cardboard
r Colored paper
r Construction paper
r Glass bottles & jars
r Juice boxes
r Junk mail
r Magazines & catalogs
r Newspaper
PLEASE NO!!!
Candy or food wrappers Juice pouches Laminated paper Paper cups or plates Plastic bags Plastic caps or lids
Plastic utensils or straws Shredded paper, loose or in plastic bags Styrofoam®
Tissues, napkins or paper towels Food or liquids
THE DPS RECYCLING ROAD MAP
GET TO KNOW YOUR DPS RECYCLING PROGRAM
CLOSING THE LOOP5
Help create more demand for recycled materials. Purchase school supplies that support recycling programs and contain post-consumer recycled content.
DENVER RECYCLES3
Denver Recycles' trucks empty all recycling carts and transport materials to the recycling processing center.
COLLECTION2
Materials from classroom bins are emptied into carts. On your school’s designated recycling day, these carts are set out for collection.
SORTING AND SHIPPING4
Materials get sorted and prepared for shipping at the processing center, then sent to manufacturers all over the country and world to be turned back into new products.
CLASSROOM1
Recycling starts here. Place a recycling bin and poster in every classroom.
NEED ADDITIONAL POSTERS OR RECYCLING CONTAINERS AT YOUR SCHOOL? Email [email protected]
r Notebook & office paper
r Paper bags
r Paperboard
r Paper folders
r Paper milk & juice cartons
r Pizza boxes
r Plastic food and beverage containers labeled #1– #7
r Steel cans
YES, RECYCLE:
r Aluminum cans & foil
r Cardboard
r Colored paper
r Construction paper
r Glass bottles & jars
r Juice boxes
r Junk mail
r Magazines & catalogs
r Newspaper
PLEASE NO!!!
Candy or food wrappers Juice pouches Laminated paper Paper cups or plates Plastic bags Plastic caps or lids
Plastic utensils or straws Shredded paper, loose or in plastic bags Styrofoam®
Tissues, napkins or paper towels Food or liquids
THE DPS RECYCLING ROAD MAP
GET TO KNOW YOUR DPS RECYCLING PROGRAM
CLOSING THE LOOP5
Help create more demand for recycled materials. Purchase school supplies that support recycling programs and contain post-consumer recycled content.
DENVER RECYCLES3
Denver Recycles' trucks empty all recycling carts and transport materials to the recycling processing center.
COLLECTION2
Materials from classroom bins are emptied into carts. On your school’s designated recycling day, these carts are set out for collection.
SORTING AND SHIPPING4
Materials get sorted and prepared for shipping at the processing center, then sent to manufacturers all over the country and world to be turned back into new products.
CLASSROOM1
Recycling starts here. Place a recycling bin and poster in every classroom.
NEED ADDITIONAL POSTERS OR RECYCLING CONTAINERS AT YOUR SCHOOL? Email [email protected]
r Notebook & office paper
r Paper bags
r Paperboard
r Paper folders
r Paper milk & juice cartons
r Pizza boxes
r Plastic food and beverage containers labeled #1– #7
r Steel cans
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
1. REVIEW DENVER RECYCLES’ RECYCLING GUIDELINES. Make sure you recycle all that you can in your classroom or office, and help your students to do the same. Inspire others by setting a good example — it’s easy!
2. GET TO KNOW THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH RECYCLING AT YOUR SCHOOL. Did you know that each DPS school has a designated Recycling Coordinator? This person organizes recycling efforts at your school, serves as contact for Denver Recycles and works closely with the school’s Facilities Management team. If you don’t already know your Recycling Coordinator, ask around! Be sure to thank them for what they do for recycling at your school, and ask them how you can get involved.
3. REDUCE AND REUSE, AND JUST USE LESS “STUFF.” The best way to reduce waste is to not generate it in the first place. Think twice about buying another bottle of water or buying a coffee in a disposable to-go cup. Bring your reusable water bottle or reusable coffee mug instead.
BE AWAREDenver Recycles does not accept plastic bags or plastic wrap of any kind. This includes grocery bags, trash bags, candy wrappers, chip bags, zip bags, shrink wrap, etc. Why? These items are not suitable for single-stream recycling programs. They are considered to be contaminants to the recycling stream and they interfere with the equipment at the processing center. Please do your part to keep these items out of your purple containers.
THE GOOD NEWSMost grocery stores will accept your discarded plastic grocery bags for recycling. Return your plastic bags to these stores, or even better, reduce waste by taking your own reusable bags instead.
www.DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles | [email protected] (720-913-1311) Ask for Solid Waste Management
THE STATE OF RECYCLING IN DPS
Denver Public Schools has partnered with the City & County of Denver since 2009 for the collection of trash, recycling and compost from DPS facilities. Last school year alone, DPS students and staff recycled 1,130 tons of materials that would have
otherwise been landfilled. That’s over 2 million pounds, or nearly 200,000 pounds per school! The total tons kept out of the landfill is growing larger
each year as more schools fine tune their recycling programs and add composting services to their existing recycling services.
DPS is doing a great job of recycling. But, there’s still MUCH more to be
done to reduce waste! The overall DPS recycling rate was 16% for the 2014-2015 school year. That’s right — almost 85% of the materials generated in DPS last year were still sent to the landfill. With
everyone working together, Denver Recycles is confident that DPS can recycle even more!
THE GOOD AND THE BAD
DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLSRECYCLES!
Most craft and construction paper is recyclable! Just remove non-recyclable elements from paper art projects (googly eyes, magnets, plastics, etc.) and recycle.
Art projects with heavy amounts of paint should be discarded in the trash.
In addition, laminated paper, plastic coated paper and tissue paper are not recyclable.
Pizza boxes are recyclable. Just remove food debris and wax paper before recycling. Please note, when boxes are completely saturated with grease, they are no longer recyclable. If your school has a compost collection program, greasy pizza boxes can be added to the green carts.
Plastic bottles and rigid plastic containers labeled #1 through #7 are recyclable. Other plastics such as toys, and non-rigid plastics such as foam, tubes and pouches, are not recyclable in your purple containers.
Printed on 100% recycled paper
DID YOUKNOW?
CONGRATULATIONS! Centennial Elementary, McKinley Thatcher Elementary, Swigert International School and Denver Discovery School have joined the ranks of “All-Star” composting schools by establishing lunchroom composting programs during the 2014-2015 school year! On average, each DPS school with an active composting program is able to keep an additional 100 pounds of waste out of the landfill every school day just by composting.
To learn more about starting a compost program at your school, email [email protected].
RECYCLING SPOTLIGHT
… almost 85% of the materials generated in DPS last
year were still sent to the landfill.{ }
A Recycling Newsletter for DPS Employees • Fall 2015