CLUBSchool Recycling Winter 2007-2008

Providing the latest news to the school recycling community

Inside

The SchoolRecycling CLUB is a

project of the NortheastResource Recovery Associa-

tion (NRRA), a proactive non-profit cooperative

working to make recycling programs efficient and financially successful.

www.nrra.net

The SchoolRecycling CLUB

- Since 1998 -

110,495 StudentsInvolved!

- 1 -Bottled WaterCompost Sale

Yogurt Brigade

- 2 -Member PRofiLeS:

Gilford Elementary

- 3 -Recycling RamblingsCollection Trouble?

- 4 -UNH Speakers

How to join the CLUB

Quarterly

1Go to: www.schoolrecycling.net

Have you joinedTeam earTH yet? Find

out more by clicking on “awards”on The CLUB’s

web site.

www.schoolrecycling.net

This Spring, Have a Compost Bin Sale and Raise Funds for Your School

[ Team earTh awards = 10 PoinTs ]

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+

During the dozen years that I have been involved in youth sports as a parent and coach, one of the main tasks I’ve performed after every practice and every game has been to clean up after the kids. What has struck me during all these years is the number of plastic water and sports drink bottles we’ve had to throw away. In my town and most of the towns where my kids’ teams have played, there aren’t any recycling bins for bot-tles. We can certainly encourage our towns and leagues to make recycling a priority. But there’s actually a much better solution, one that will make a significant impact on our environment, locally and globally: Reduce the amount of bottled water and bottled sports drinks our kids consume. Sounds like a challenge, doesn’t it? But there are good reasons why we should find replacements for bottled water and also reduce our consumption of bottled sports drinks.Here’s why: n Water bottles are made of plastic, and almost all plastics use oil as their base material. We should conserve, not deplete, this precious natural resource.

n Manufacturing those plastic water bottles consumes lots of energy and puts more carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to global climate change.

n Water is heavy (very heavy: one liter weighs 2.2 pounds!). Shipping all that water in plastic bottles across the country consumes energy and emits lots of carbon into the atmo-sphere.

n If the average kid drinks one bottle of U.S.-sourced water a day, that adds up to about 10 gallons of gas or diesel fuel a year in transportation and sixty (60!) pounds of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere.

n Americans will consume more than 10 billion water bottles this year. More than 80% of these bottles are just thrown away and are not recycled. This means about 8 bil-lion bottles every year are added to our waste stream.

by David Wilk

So, What About Bottled Water?

every year millions of yogurt containers end up in garbage and landfills. Stonyfield Farm, the organic food leader and environmental pioneer, is partnering with TerraCycle in a pilot program aimed at collecting used yogurt containers and reusing them as planting pots. TerraCycle will then sell planting pots to large retailers who currently use black plastic planting pots, millions of which are discarded by consumers every year. After you have signed up for the Yogurt Brigade, TerraCycle will mail out 4 prepaid boxes to the non-residential address that you have provided. Once the boxes are filled with 400, 6 ounce yogurt cups, please seal and drop off the filled box at a UPS drop off

Did you know that an average household’s waste contains an estimated 25% of kitchen scraps and yard trimmings? Help your school and your local homeowners (as a fund raiser) reduce their waste, create wonderful composted “gold” and raise some money for the school at the same time. Schools can have a fund raiser event selling compost bins and kitchen waste pails or buy individual bins/pails for their school. This is your chance to order your compost bins and pails at a very low price.

Bin and Pails for YOUR School:If you would like to order a compost bin or kitchen pails for your school and not participate in the sale you can order

TerraCycle & Stonyfield FarmYogurt Brigade FundraiserSign your school up today...it’s easy!

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$8.00($15 retail value)

[ Team earTh awards = 4 PoinTs ]

$45.00($85 retail

value)

2 Go to: www.schoolrecycling.net

Recycling Program Operated by The Green Pandas

MeMBeR SChooL PRofILeSGilford Elementary School - Gilford, NH

from page 1

A tremendouslyenergized threesomeof teachers, Kim Valpey, Sue LeClerc and Lynn Clarke, mentor Gilford elementary’s recycling group called The Green Pandas. The Green Pandas have been recycling for over 10 years and currently the Panda’s consist of about 10-13,

similarly active 4th graders! They are a hands-on crew that collect ALL the recycled materials that Gilford Elementary currently recycles. The Pandas started by simply recycling paper, then added a worm composting bin two years ago and just recently started recycling plastic and cans.

Once a week, on Wednesdays (same time), they meet in Miss Valpey’s art classroom. There, the Pandas split up into 4 groups of about 3 stu-dents each, and are then each handed a list of specific classrooms. The Green Pandas then move throughout the school collecting recyclables in each of their assigned classrooms. They first pick up the square green paper bins (bought over the years by the GES student council from the School Recycling CLUB via New Hampshire the Beautiful), and return with arms loaded to Mrs. Valpey’s classroom. As the paper in the bins is emptied into bags, it is checked by the adults for any contaminates while at the same time glossy magazines are taken out. The local Gilford transfer station does not yet accept glossy magazines, so in the meantime the Pandas have to pull these out of their waste stream. The Pandas then proceed to collect from the school’s office (paper, shredded paper & magazines) and finally from the cafeteria where the students gather up the plastic bottles and cans from the Clearstream recyclers.

once all the recyclables have been emptied, the students return the collection bins back to each classroom, the office and the cafeteria. The whole collection process takes about one hour.

overall, the Pandas collect about eight big black garbage bags of paper each week. Once collected, the bags are stored until Bob Kelly, Gilford’s GES Custodian can take them in the district’s truck to the Gilford Transfer Station.

The Pandas would like to see the Town of Gilford come on board more with recycling and would eventually like to find an easier way to deliver all their

recyclables including the glossy magazines.

Gilford Elementary has been very active in getting the word out though. Last year, they did a big event on America Re-

cycles Day for the town, where they focused on the ongoing recycling efforts at the school. They even borrowed 2 recycle mo-biles for a week from the School Recycling CLUB so they could collect plastic contain-ers from the whole town...a huge success!

every month the Green Pandas compose and perform skits at Gilford’s monthly Show Cases that are both educational and entertaining. They help spread the mes-sage of how the small things we do, can

help our planet.

Inspired by the young energetic Green Pandas and a district wide movement, the Gilford Middle and High Schools are currently starting their own recycling pro-grams. Plans are in the works for Earth Day 2008...The Recyclabulls are coming to perform. Also, Waste Management has leased each school 10, 95lb toters for all

of their recyclables and will do a bi-monthly pickup. Kudos to the Green Pandas! Thank you for your amazing recycling efforts, we all appreciate it!

GiLfoRDeLeMeNTARy

Grades: K-6 Population: 428

Recycles: Office Pa-per, shredded paper, cardboard, plastic, yoghurt cups, cans, worm composting

bin, inkjet cartridges.

n Bottled water costs you more per ounce than gasoline! Why spend your money to buy a commodity you can have virtually for free from your own tap? Here are a few easy things you can do to make a difference n Buy a reusable water bottle for each of your kids. Buy one for your-self. Be a role model and show off your cool new re-usable bottle. n Talk about bottled-water issues with your kids. Kids care a lot about the environment, and they need to know that they can make a real differ-ence. Tell them that every bottle you buy consumes unnecessary oil and contributes to global climate change. n if your tap water does not taste good to you, put filters on your faucets. You will be amazed at the difference. n Pick up empty plastic bottles you see. Make sure they are all recycled and not just thrown into the trash.n You do not have to go cold turkey. Trying to be “pure” or “perfect” just makes changing behavior seem more difficult and ends up being frustrat-ing. Try cutting down on how much bottled water you buy, bring your own containers when you travel, and refill along the way. n for your team sports, bring a large water cooler and paper cups to each game and practice.n Try talking to your leagues and schools about this issue, too. Most re-usable bottle companies offer cus-tom logo versions of their products, so your league can actually have its own branded water bottles and sell them at fund raisers. Many of these same issues concern bottled sports drinks—they are mostly water and come in plastic bottles, too. There are plenty of good alternatives to bottled sports drinks, like orange slices, watermelon, and other fruits.Visit the nonprofit web site www.turntotap.com for more information and regular updates about bottled water and the alternatives to its consumption. It’s a volunteer project aimed at making the world a better place for all of us, and you’re welcome to join in.

David Wilk lives in Weston, CT, where he is active in youth sports and environmental concerns. Article copied with permission from www.PlaySportsTV.com where the article was first published.

Bottled Water...

Some Pandas:(l to r)Jeremiah, Oliver, mitch, Sophie, allison, Jillian & maxThe mentors:(l to r) Kim Valpey, Sue LeClerc (dumpster diva) & Lynn Clarke

another energetic Panda: mark

Hard Working Pandas: max, mitch & Oliver

Inspiring Pandas: Jillian, allison & Sophie

RecyclaBulls’ Decision

Recycling Ramblings

CongratulationsMilford Middle School

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19 new & renewing members...Barnstead Elementary, BarnsteadBrewster Academy, WolfeboroCharlestown Primary, CharlestownCrotched Mountain, GreenfieldDerry Montessori School, DerryEast Rochester Annex, RochesterGarrison elementary School, DoverHollis Brookline Middle School, HollisLitchfield Middle School, LitchfieldMilan Village School, MilanMonadnock Waldorf School, KeeneNew Durham elementary School, New DurhamNewmarket Jr Sr High School, NewmarketPelham elementary School, PelhamPemi Baker Outdoor Leadership Academy - PlymouthPennichuck Middle School, NashuaShaker Road School, ConcordUnion Sanborn School, NorthfieldWalker School, Concord

Please check the CLUB web site today at: www.schoolrecycling.net to make sure your

school’s information is included and accurate!

Welcome NewCLUB Members

Total CLUB Members to Date - 241Total Bins Distributed 2007-08 School Year - 414

CollectionTrouble?

Does your school need help getting recyclables picked up? Is your school on the Seacoast, in Nashua, Manchester, Concord or in the Lakes region of NH? The CLUB can help by connecting you with a ven-dor interested in providing schools with fRee pick-up of recyclables. For more information contact the CLUB at 603-736-4401 or email theclub@nrra.net.

What would YOUlike to see in the

CLUB Newsletter?

Send the CLUBan email at

theclub@nrra.netand let us know!

Membershipto the CLUB

is FREE.Join Today!

We now have several sources available for Global Warming Speakers. Most of these talks are gearedtoward High School grades and can be presented inan assembly stylepresentation.email theCLUB for moreinformation at:theclub@nrra.net

Thank so much for all those schools taking the time to fill out an application for the RecyclaBulls’ grant. We had an OVERWHELMING response, but unfortunately only 15 slots available to fill. The CLUB together with DES and the Winnipesaukee playhouse, had a very tough decision. After much deliberation and discussion though, congratu-lations should go out to the following schools: Gilford Elementary, Jaffrey Grade School, Moore School, Hen-niker Community School, Woodland Heights School, Hollis Primary, New Searles elementary, Plymouth el-ementary, Belmont elemen-tary, Pleasant Street School, Mary C. Dondero, Inter-Lakes elementary, North-wood School, New Durham Elementary, Mildred Lakeway Elementary School.

Recyclabulls in 2009! for those schools that unfortu-nately were not chosen this year, we hope that next year you will apply again! The CLUB, in cooperation with the DES, have already submitted paperwork toward a Grant for the 2009 RecyclaBulls’ performances. Next years performance will be about Global Warming.

Compost Bin Salein Time forEarth Day 2008!

them by filling out an order form andsend it back to us before April 1, 2008.

Fund Raiser Event:The compost bin and kitchen waste pail sale offers schools the opportunity to raise money while providing an easy to use backyard composting program at a low price!

Schools can sell the bins for $40 (retail value $85) each, or use the sale as a fund raiser and raise the price to $45, thus earning $5 for every bin sold!

To participate, here is what you do:1. Go on-line at www.schoolrecycling.net to download an order form and either mail or fax the form to our office. 2. Orders (in quantities of 20)will be accepted untilTuesday, April 1, 2008. 3. Delivery of compost bins & pails expected the week of April 14, 2008 – in time for Earth Day - April 22nd, 2008.

location near you. TerraCy-cle’s pilot Yogurt Brigadewill include schools, com-munity groups and others collecting 6 and 32 oz yogurt containers. For every container collected, Stony-field will donate 2 cents or 5 cents, respectively, to a charitable organization or school of the collector’s choice. There are no sign up fees whatsoever. To sign up and/or start your own Yogurt Brigade go to www.terracycle.net/yb/yb.htm.

The School Recycling CLUB has other resources available. Just call us at 603-736-4401 or check them out on line at www.schoolrecycling.net. For example: The Can Cage...it tows!...for large school wide collection of alumi-num cans; ClearStream Recyclers...specifically de-signed for bottles and cans; EcoCycle Kit, a waste reduction activity kit...Just contact the CLUB!

A Hot Topic...

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BrigadeFund raiser

CLUBStuff forThe Asking

CLUB Quarterly Winter 2007- 2008

(NOW in Southern NH!)

MMS has earned their BRONZE Recycling Award in the CLUB’s Team earth Awards program! Way to go, now go for the Silver!

BronzeRecyclingAward

RR

RR

RR

The SchoolRecycling CLUB...

is a fRee school program, designed to be a fun, in-novative way to give kids en-couragement, direction, and networking possibilities for school recycling programs.

Benefits to joining include:• Hear the latest news about school recycling.• Gain statewide recogni- tion for your school’s recycling efforts.• increase partnerships between your community and your school.• Receive technical assistance• Learn of fRee recycling educational resources.

To Join...• Have written permission from the principal;• Currently be recycling, or agree to recycle at least one type of item for one year!• That’s it! you can be part of THE CLUB!

The School Recycling CLUBA Project of The Northeast Resource Recovery Association2101 Dover Road (NH Rte 4)Epsom, NH 03234

www.schoolrecycling.net

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Printed on Recycled Paper

Partially funded by a USDA Rural Development Solid Waste Grant

Non-Profit Org.US Postage

PAiDEpsom, NH 03234

Permit # 1267

Student Council members atNew Durham Elementary School agreed to make recycling a focus of this year’s service work. After becoming a member of the School Recycling CLUB, they organized fellow classmates into a “Green Team” which will help with projects promoting recycling. On November 14th, 30 Green Team members from grades 3rd, 4th, and 5th attended Lisa Daminao’s UNH Speaker presenta-tion about waste and recycling. They learned how a landfill works, what everyone can do to reduce the amount of material going into a one, and how to identify items which canbe recycled.

With the help of the Paper Recycling Alliance Corporation and bins purchased from the School Recycling CLUB, the Green Team has begun a paper recycling program! Everyday the school, students (and staff) remind themselves and each other, to use the recycling bins when they discard paper and cardboard. On Friday afternoons, Green Team members fan out across the school to collect bins from classrooms and offices. The students are very excited about the amount of paper the school is now recycling and is now keeping out of the waste stream.

The presentation I gave at New Durham Elementary School was a huge success.

The students were very interested in learning about

recycling and what they could do to help. It was a great

learning experience for me to see that with a little informa-tion, kids can accomplish a great deal and be energized

to make a difference.Lisa Daminao, a graduate student part of the UNHSpeakers Program, has a recycling talk with some 4th, 5th, & 6th graders at New Durham Elementary School.

Update: Our UNH Speaker Program has had a VeRy successful launch. We’ve had four classroom style talks to date which were very well received. Everyone was extremely happy with the professionalism and expertise of the speakers. A workshop style discussion for teachers was also conducted while we had another speaker, Mike Morrison (Global Warming Speaker), talk to an entire school about global warming.

The Club is trying to coordinate with UNH again this Spring.Classroom talks are given by UNH graduates and a small fee of $40, to help offset travel expenses, is charged. Request a speaker today by calling the CLUB at 603-734-4401 or email the CLUB at: theclub@nrra.net. Space is limited.

The Speakers Are Getting The Word Out About Recycling[ The CLUB’s UNh speakers program / Team earTh awards = 3 poiNTs ]

- Lisa Daminao -