Step 1
Establish what recycling is already at your school. It is essential to know whether or not the need is there for your school. You might have to refocus on bringing awareness rather than adding more recycling.
Step 2
Get a team together. Work with people already helping with recycling in your school (i.e. Earth Club, NHS, Service Club etc.) and get them on board to help! Make sure also to start contacting your school’s administration and custodial staff!
Step 3
Start the conversation with the head custodian as well as administration. Ask them what needs to happen for more recycling options to be implemented at the school. Once you understand what needs to be done, make a plan to execute it.
Step 4
Plan, plan, plan. Make sure to account for different variables when creating your plan. It is important to show that you have thought of every angle when getting ready to present it. Once you finish, meet back up with the administration and custodial staff to get approved, it usually will result in a pilot program*.
*Pilot Program: A Pilot Program is a tentative implementation of a program before full-blown implementation.
*Pilot Program: A Pilot Program is a tentative implementation of a program before full-blown implementation.
Step 5
Once you have gained approval, get your plan in motion quickly and effectively. Get help from peers and teachers to spread the word about mixed recycling and the new implementations. Make a video and/or posters to spread around the school to bring awareness.
Step 6
Make sure to track your implementation to use as data to show the necessity for additional recycling. (I did this by taking pictures of every dumpster and the mixed recycling can each day to show the differences but find a way to track data for you that works.)
Step 7
Show the data to administration and custodial staff for official approval. If that is approved, then congratulations, you did it!
An Additional Step
If you would like to make this a larger-scale implementation, use the successful program at your current school and present it to your school district board member, or CFO. Then, repeat the process!