Key Role: Become involved in the recycling program as much as possible by source separating materials, monitoring materials for contaminants, promoting the program, and spreading the word about your school’s environmental effort.

Responsibilities:

  • Become part of the Recycling Team by forming or joining a school environmental club or working with administrators to implement the program at your school.
  • Set up a student monitoring schedule to be sure classroom and cafeteria recycling containers are not being contaminated with trash.
  • Volunteer to talk about the recycling program on the school morning announcements. Here’s an example: Video on Trash Talk Announcements at DeMasi School.
  • Keep other students enthusiastic about recycling through a school poster contest, classroom challenges, or articles in the school publications. See some ideas in this video about DeMasi Middle School students assisting the elementary school students.

Checklist:

  • Join the school environmental club.  If the school doesn’t have a club, form one.
  • Assist in the collection of materials from classrooms, where appropriate.
  • Set up a student monitoring schedule for all recyclables collected in classrooms and cafeterias.
  • Promote the new recycling program:
  • Design a school recycling mascot (this could be related to a school mascot already in existence).
  • Create a recycling information and display board.
  • Challenge other classrooms to collection and quality control contests.
  • Hold a school poster contest.
  • Write articles about the importance of recycling for the school publications.
  • Tell your parents or guardians and siblings about the recycling program.