Express ProductsWrap’s new guidelines to help standardise household recycling in the UK, presents a real opportunity for schools.
The guidelines have yet to be widely promoted to residents through their local authorities and further guidelines for garden waste and textiles are not due to be released until 2017, however it is envisaged that campaigns will increase awareness about what can and (just as importantly) can’t be recycled, while ultimately working to influence changes in behaviour to dramatically improve the UK’s rates of recycling.
And the shared vision to increase the quality and quantity of material to be collected for recycling is clear:
“by 2025 packaging is designed to be recyclable (where practical and environmentally beneficial) and labelled clearly to indicate whether it can be recycled or not. Every household in England can recycle a common set of materials and food waste collected in one of three ways.”
Practical Solutions to Improve the Quality and Quantity of Recycled Materials
from Your School Right Now
If awareness and action at home is set to increase, there is a real opportunity for schools to introduce programmes that are really fit for the future of recycling, reflecting the changes in attitudes and behaviour and influencing the critical formation of new recycling habits right across the school community.
Reduce contamination and improve quality with multi-stream stations
With the knowledge of the types of waste your school produces, you can easily create effective indoor and outdoor multi-stream recycling stations to capture and segregate the recycled materials from one another.
Short on time? Just talk to us. We offer a free no obligation waste audit as an essential part of our service for schools.
Food waste, paper and card and dense plastic make up the majority of waste in Secondary Schools.
Therefore, it is likely that these streams will feature prominently throughout your multi-stream stations.
- Segregating food waste around the school may also require a complement of different containers designed with trays for canteens, lift and close lids for corridors, classrooms and communal areas and lidded pedal bins for kitchens.
- Confidential paper waste may also require consideration and communal locations for confidential documents can be created simply with specially designed lockable containers.
Additional waste categories to consider during the audit are garden waste, plastic film, metals, glass and textiles.
When Space is at a Premium...
Look for multi-stream recycling solutions. With a single space saving unit you can capture two, three, or four different waste streams into segregated liners or sacks.
Increase quantity through...
Awareness
Even the most established recycling programmes require continued communication through internal campaign drives and reminders. Why not get the children involved and create a campaign to be proud of with key messages they can relate to.
Positioning and Capacity
The initial waste audit will provide an understanding of the best indoor and outdoor locations for your recycling stations to ensure high visibility in the areas that will naturally generate higher rates of recycling.
Capacity of the containers will also be a key consideration in relation to the volume of waste generated and the frequency of collections.
Signage or a map highlighting the locations of existing and new recycling stations should also support in any awareness campaign.
Smart and Attractive Stations
In such a busy environment, you will need your recycling station to make a statement and attract attention, while also stimulating action.
For a recycling programme to have real impact and become a sustainable asset, consideration should be given to the quality and aesthetic appeal of the containers.
- Bright and colourful apertures encourage usage and promote segregation with specially shaped openings for the individual waste streams, carrying the official UK Recycle Now symbols to ensure consistency.
- Different apertures are available for 12 waste streams including paper, plastic bottles, food, aluminium cans.
- Smart quality containers of modern and interesting design will further demonstrate school’s commitment and help embed recycling behaviours into the everyday.
- Attract attention to your recycling station with signage or a stand which creates further visual impact and provides a smart fixed feature appearance.
We hope this feature from our Smart School Series has provided you with some useful resources and ideas to help with your school recycling programmes.
If you would like to discuss your requirements or book a free no obligation waste audit for your school, please talk to us today using our Live Chat feature at the bottom of this page or contact us.
Alternatively you can browse a selection of indoor and outdoor multi-stream recycling solutions which have been chosen by school facilities managers here: Focus on Secondary Schools.
About Glasdon
Glasdon are a leading UK manufacturer and supplier of sustainable solutions for the management of waste and recycling, cycling schemes and on site health and safety for schools, colleges and universities.
Wherever possible we design our products using recycled materials or material which can be recycled at the end of its service life.
Find out more about our commitment to the environment here.
