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StartaSchoolRecyclingProgramme
urrent legislation puts more emphasis on waste avoidance, minimisation, reuse and recycling. Implementing a recycling programme at your school instils the right values and behaviour in our children and also presents the school with new learning opportunities. The aim of this booklet is therefore to educate learners and educators about ways to minimise waste and become part of the solution in doing their bit to protect our environment.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHAT IS WASTE MANAGEMENT? 3
GREEN SCHOOLS
11
LAST WORDS
17
This booklet was written and designed by Delanie Bezuidenhout (Environmental Manager: Plastics Federation of SA) on behalf of the Recovery Action Group (RAG) and other partners below:
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A waste management programme aims to reduce waste generation and increase recycling to reduce waste going to landfill and create a clean and green environment!
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The figure below is a picture representation of the waste management hierarchy above.
If we take a look at the general contents of our rubbish bin and take the waste management hierarchy into consideration it is clear that we are able to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill for disposal by almost 87%!!!
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GREEN SCHOOLS
What is an Environmentally Green School? How to Run a Green School
o o o o o o
Take responsibility for the project Drive the implementation of the project Raise awareness of the project Provide training for all involved Set up regular meetings with the committee Keep the governing body and management team informed
Representative from Top Management. It would be ideal if the schools principle could be directly involved as it would ensure that the project receives full support from management. Representatives from Educators. educator representatives. The committee should include at least 3
Representatives from the Governing Body. The support of the governing body is crucial for the success of the project. Learner Representation. This is vital as learners will assist in generating awareness and support amongst their peers. Representative from the School Cleaning Staff. Although learners, educators and parents can do a great deal to ensure the success of the project, the support and buy-in of cleaning staff is crucial.
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Read up on the recycling rules of your collector and follow those guidelines!
Buy recycled
Supporting recycling means not only feeding the loop but also buying items with recycling content.
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Start a compost heap and worm farm for use in your school garden.
Let it go!
Do not store items you are never going to use again! Lots of charities will welcome your donations!
Place recycling bins as close to the point of generation as possible. Also put a general bin next to a recycling bin.
Label it!
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Bring it in!
Decide on a day each week on which learners will bring recyclables from home.
Identify a suitable collector in your area. Make sure that they will be able to provide you with a reliable service!
Generate awareness!
Recycling should be seen as a fun activity! Organise fun events, involve all learners, provide feedback on successes and involve the local media!
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PLASTICS
For more information on plastics recycling visit www.plasticsinfo.co.za. Packaging plastics are identified by a polymer identification code. The number in the triangle indicates what type of plastic (polymer) was used to manufacture the plastic product. Most types of packaging plastics are recyclable.
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Products like plastic water and cold drink bottles
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Products like: Grocery bags Milk bottles Household cleaning product containers
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Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Products like: Pipes Rigid packaging like blister packs Tubing Wire insulation
Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) Products like: Squeezable bottles Soft plastics bags ie. Frozen Veggies Shrink wrap
Polypropylene (PP) Products like: Yogurt and margarine containers Bottle caps Flower pots Buckets Polystyrene (PS) Products like: Take away cups Clamshells Protective packaging around electronic equipment such as TVs
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GLASS
For more information on glass recycling visit www.theglassrecyclingcompany.co.za. Glass can be recycled indefinitely as part of a simple process. bottles saves enough energy to boil water for 5 cups of tea. Recycling two glass
Glass that we are familiar with is divided into different streams based on its composition and use: 1. Container glass. Largely bottles and jars 80% of the recycled glass market. 2. Flat glass. Used in long-term applications ie. windscreens. 3. Fibre glass. Currently no recycling in this sector. 4. Domestic and special glass. Pyrex and ornaments, cathode ray tubes in TV sets largely not recyclable and should not be mixed with container glass. What to do? Rinse glass bottles and jars in the same water you washed your dishes Remove metal or plastic tops, corks and rings Separate glass bottles in different colours (clear, green & blue, brown)
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You cannot recycle: Wet or dirty paper Tissue paper Wax of plastic coated packaging Self-adhesive paper Carbon paper Page 14 of 17
Chemically treated fax or photographic paper Dog food bags Potato bags Wax coated boxes Cement bags
REMEMBER! Print only when necessary! Print and copy on both sides of the paper Use scrap paper for internal correspondence Place your waste paper in a paper recycling bin
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E-WASTE
For more information on the recycling of e-waste visit www.ewasa.org. E-waste includes computers, TVs, stereos, DVD players, fax machines, cell phones and other electronic and electrical household appliances that have been thrown away. It is definitely recyclable because it is a valuable source of secondary raw materials. It will become toxic if not treated and discarded properly.
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LAST WORDS
KEEP IT GOING!!!!
Getting a school recycling programme started is one thing... keeping it going is a much harder task! Make sure you have a member of the staff as waste champion. Put measures in place to ensure regular updates from the people who manage the programme. Include waste management activities in the lesson plans and reward the school when the programme works well...
BUT
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