Fall 2008

School Recycling

The School
Recycling CLUB CLUB Quarterly
- Since 1998 -

110,495 Students
Involved!
+

Providing the latest news to the school recycling community

[TEAM Earth Activity = 10 Points] Congrats Milford Middle School ~

Inside Encourage Small Businesses in School Recycler of the Year!
-2-
Your Community to Recycle
RecyclaBulls
Composting at School D id you know that a lot of small businesses may
not recycle? Pick 10 small businesses in your area
to contact and encourage them to start or expand their
-3- recycling programs. We’ll make it easy. Just download
Junk Mail the flyer on www.schoolrecycling.net to get you started.
Stonyfield Partners with Send us a list of the businesses you contact and get 10
Recycline points toward the TEAM Earth Awards Program.
New CLUB Members
To learn more about the TEAM Earth Awards Pro-
-4- gram, go to www.schoolrecycling.net/SchoolAwards.
How to join the CLUB html. Good luck!
Paper Retriever
Kelly Pearson [left] presented award to MMS Teacher Diane
Green Wave
Save Energy at School and Home Varney-Parker and their Recycling Club.
Top Ten Energy-Saving Tips From
Clean Air-Cool Planet N ortheast Resource
Recovery Associa-
tion was pleased to award
recycling efforts. This
group of middle school
students banned together
1. Turn thermostats down by 3 to 5 degrees on your Milford Middle School to encourage their school
furnace and water heater. Yes, this may mean wear- (MMS) Recycling Club to incorporate other
Have you joined ing more clothes in the house. That’s one of things with the School Recycler “green” practices too. In
Team Earth yet? Find they’re for. And if you can’t hold your hand under the of the Year Award. They addition, they were the
out more by clicking on hot water, it’s too hot! received the award at first school in the state
“Awards “on The CLUB’s
web site. 2. Turn the heat down further when you leave the NRRA’s 27th Annual Re- to reach the Silver level
house for the day, and turn it down when you sleep at cycling Conference and of the School Recycling
night. If you have a programmable thermostat, even Exposition. Throughout Club’s Team EARTH
better - you can program it to do this for you, and this year, their recycling Awards Program.
set it to bring the heat up before you get home and club has shown great
www.school before you get up. enthusiasm and worked Congratulations Milford
recycling.net 3. Get your furnace tuned and cleaned every other hard to grow their school Middle School!
year; replace the air filters at least annually if not
seasonally. Make sure heating units or registers are free
and clear. There’s no sense in heating the back of the Thank you, thank you, thank you
The School
Recycling CLUB is a
project of the Northeast
couch. to all for participating in
Resource Recovery Associa-
tion (NRRA), a proactive
4. Next to space heating, water heating uses the most the School Recycling CLUB.
non-profit cooperative
energy. Wrap your water heater with insulation. Wash
working to make recycling your clothes in cold water. Consider whether it’s Please keep in touch, and let us know about
programs efficient and continued on page 3
financially successful. the great things you’re doing in YOUR school.
www.nrra.net Email Kelly at theclub@nrra.net or call (603)
*T.E.A.M. = Team Earth Activity Manual.
Whenever you see this acronym, it means you can earn points towards 736-4401.
our Team Earth Awards Program by completing this activity.
Go to: www.schoolrecycling.net 1
 Winnipesaukee Playhouse’s Performance
“Commenda Bull’s Club” Rocks the Stage
W ith a lot of singing and dancing, the
Winni-Playhouse spread excitement
about recycling to elementary students
throughout the state. Fifteen New Hamp-
shire schools had the honor of seeing this
top-notch musical that encouraged young-
sters to sing along with the catchy tunes.
“The RecyclaBulls: Commenda Bull’s Club”
was presented by The School Recycling
CLUB and The Winnipesaukee Playhouse
in association with the NH Department of
Environmental Services. This was the first
of four shows in the series that all deal with
different aspects of environmental educa-
tion. All involved were extremely excited
about having the play at their school.
“This was the perfect way to cultivate future
New Hampshire recyclers,” said School
Recycling CLUB Coordinator Kelly Pearson.
“Recycling is an important message for all,
but especially for youngsters who can carry
the message throughout their lives.”
In the play, written by Bryan Halperin and
David Polansky, of the award winning Win-
nipesaukee Playhouse, four young calves
learn to work together to take better care
of their town’s environment and end up
encouraging the rest of the towns “citizens”
as well. The show introduces basic concepts
of environmental education and offers some
simple suggestions that even the youngest
recycler can try at home. “Commenda Bull’s
Club” was originally produced as part of the
2006 Winni-Playhouse Children’s Summer WE NEED FUNDING FOR THIS
Series. GREAT PROGRAM!
The CLUB is looking for funding to show the next
Thank you! play “Breako Bull’s Burp”, which deals with global
A BIG thank you to The Walker Fund of NH warming. If you’re interested in contributing to this
Charitable Foundation and Stonyfield Farm for performance, please call Kelly at (603) 736-4401 or
helping us fund this year’s project. e-mail theclub@nrra.net.

Taking the Next Step: Composting at Your School

S tudents are great recyclers.
They recycle their alumi-
num cans and they recycle their
paper. But what about their food
waste, those cafeteria left overs
from preparing the
students’ breakfast
and lunch? This
material can be
recycled through
composting!
Why Compost at
Schools?
Composting is nature’s way
of recycling. It is the natural
process of organic materials
(i.e., food, leaf and yard waste)
breaking down into a valu-
able soil amendment, just as a
leaf does on the forest floor.
Between 6 to 14 percent of
the daily waste in a school is
compostable food scraps. Com-
posting these organic materials
cannot only save money by
reducing the school’s disposal
costs but can also strengthen an
environmental science program
with hands on science activities.
Educators can play a major role
in teaching students about the
values of composting both in
the school and at home, while
providing a great example of a
natural life cycle.
School Composting
Can:
• Re-use organic mate-
rial, a valuable natural
resource;
• Save money by reduc-
ing the school’s waste
disposal costs;
• Create a valuable soil amend-
ment for planting or mulching;
• Provide an opportunity for
students to study the biology
and chemistry of how the com-
posting process works;
• Provide students with an
example of a natural life cycle,
and;
• Give students a feeling that
they can help make a difference.
Starting a school composting
program can be fun and easy.
However, an understanding of
how school composting works
and whether or not composting
is an option for a specific school
is needed before starting.
What does it take to com-
post? School cafeterias produce
food waste from two sources:
preparing meals (“prep scraps”)
and students’ leftovers (“plate
scrapings”).
The operation of a school
composting program in-
volves:
1. Collecting the food wastes
(We recommend starting with
“prep scraps”.)
2. Depositing them into a com-
posting bin
3. Mixing them with a bulking
agent (i.e., leaves or wood shav-
ings).
4. Ensuring the combination of
food waste, bulking agent and
moisture is correct
5. Deciding how to use the
finished compost
Although the operational steps
listed above are simple, there
are many small details of setting
up, coordinating, and operating
a school composting program.
It is essential to address these
details for a successful program.
What kind of compost bin
will work? The needs of a
school compost bin are a little
different than the needs of a
household’s backyard compost
bin. Issues to consider when
deciding what type of com-
post bin are right for a school
include: the quantities of food
waste generated; attracting wild
animals to the school; and extra
finances to buy or build a fancy
compost bin. Ready-made and
easy-to-assemble bins can be
purchased through the CLUB.
Keep in mind that these bins are
typically used by single house-
holds; therefore, depending on
the amount of food waste the
school produces, you may need
multiple bins, which can be
expensive.
Contact Kelly at theclub@
nrra.net to get a 28-page
school composting guide e-
mailed to you.

2 Go to: www.schoolrecycling.net
 Save Energy, Save Money!
Recycling Ramblings continued from front page
necessary to shower every day (Heresy!), especially
in the winter. Take shorter showers when you take
them.
Sorting Through Junk Mail 5. Turn off the lights when you leave the room, even

J unk mail isn’t limited to those pesky e-mails that

appear in your school’s e-mail inbox. It comes to
schools every day through the U.S. Postal Service. But,
if it’s just for a moment. In rooms with track or re-
cessed lighting, where multiple bulbs go on and off
from a single switch, consider removing some bulbs
or lowering wattage.
did you know that there’s a way to REDUCE the junk
mail monster and reduce paper waste? 6. Put “phantom power” appliances (instant-on
things like TVs, radios, “stereos” etc. - the things
New Hampshire that have those little red lights that keep glowing) on
Department of En- power strips so you can turn them off completely
vironmental Services without unplugging. Make sure your home computer
(NHDES) hopes to goes into sleep or hibernates (shutting the monitor
stomp out this ugly down) when you’re not using it; shut the machine
monster by provid- down if you don’t use it for hours at a time.
ing instructions on Nashua Area 7. Every time a blub blows out, replace it with a
how to get your Schools: CFL. And, yes there is mercury in them, but not
name and address enough to present a greater health hazard than the
off the Direct Mar- GET PAID for mercury coming from a generating plant - even if
keting Association’s you do break it! But do dispose of CFLs properly.
list. For a small fee, your paper
8. Never underestimate the power of insulation. Are
you can go to www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmail- recycling? you heating the attic? Does the snow melt on your

I
inglist and request you be taken off their list. Within
roof, even on the shady side? Do you know how
months, you should see a decline in “junk” mail. f your school is in the much insulation you have in your walls? Install storm
Nashua area, you may doors, and make sure they close snugly.
The NHDES also has pre-addressed postcards that
be able to get PAID for
you can send to other direct marketers that asks for 9. Cover windows at night. Double pane windows
the paper you recycle.
you to be taken off of their mailing lists. For other still radiate cold into the room. Hanging a layer of
In turn, you can use this
ways to decrease your unwanted mail, go to http:// inexpensive fleece blanket behind your window
money to expand your
www.des.state.nh.us/JunkMail/reduce.htm. RR curtains can make a big difference.
recycling program. As
more schools get in- 10. You can use a stick of incense to check around
Membership volved, this program will your windows and doors for drafts, and add insulat-
expand to other areas of ing material where it’s needed. Insulate behind face
to the CLUB Southern NH. Email plates on electric outlets and switch plates.
is FREE. Kelly at theclub@nrra.
Join Today! net for more info. RR
Welcome New
Stonyfield Farm Partners with What would YOU CLUB Members
Recycline to Recycle Yogurt Cups like to see in the
CLUB Newsletter? Total CLUB Members to Date - 258

S tonyfield Farm has teamed Total Bins Distributed 2007-08 School Year - 1,523
up with Recycline, maker of 10 new & renewing members...
environmental-friendly personal Boscawen Elementary
care products, to make razors and The Brentwood School
toothbrushes from our recycled Campbell High School
yogurt cups. Recycline’s Preserve™ Razor Recyclable Hopkinton Independent School
and Preserve® Toothbrush handles are made from Iber Holmes Gove Middle School
100% recycled plastic—25-65% of which comes from Milton Elementary School
Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups gathered through the cup Send the CLUB Moharimet Elementary School
an email at
recycling efforts. theclub@nrra.net Newfound Memorial Middle School
and let us know! Shortridge Academy
For more information, visit www.stonyfield.com/Spe- Universal School of Life
cialOffers/Recycline.cfm RR Waterville Valley Elementary School

CLUB Quarterly Spring 2008 3

 The School Recycling CLUB
A Project of The Northeast Resource Recovery Association
Non-Profit Org.
2101 Dover Road (NH Rte 4) US Postage
Epsom, NH 03234 PAID
Laconia, NH
www.schoolrecycling.net Permit # 200

Printed on Recycled Paper

Partially funded by a USDA Rural
Development Solid Waste Grant

Free Fund Raiser! Free Fund Raiser! Got Recycling Bins?

We do!
Earn money for your school by recycling paper!
Contact your local Recycling Representative
The School
to find out how to turn your paper in to $$$$$. Recycling CLUB...

R
Click on www.paperretriever.com to sign up
your school and start earning money today! is a FREE school program,
designed to be a fun, in-
ecycling bins are available through New Hamp- novative way to give kids en-
shire the Beautiful at a REDUCED rate for couragement, direction, and
schools within New Hampshire. You can purchase networking possibilities for
classroom recycling bins for only $3 a bin! This dark school recycling programs.
green bin is 16” wide x 22” Benefits to joining include:
long x 13” high and comes • Hear the latest news
printed with the New Hamp- about school recycling.
• Gain statewide recogni-
shire the Beautiful logo. tion for your school’s
recycling efforts.
Another option is the Clear • Increase partnerships
Stream Recycling Bin. These have strong wire frame, between your community
see through bag, bold graphics and raised 4-hole lid and your school.
dramatically increase recycling participation and re- • Receive technical assistance
• Learn of FREE recycling
duce the chance of contamination. The Clear Stream educational resources.
Bin is available to New Hampshire members of THE
CLUB for only $16 and can be used to collect any To Join...
type of container, such as aluminum cans or plastic • Have written permission
bottles. from the principal;
• Currently be recycling,
To order these bins, download the application at www. or agree to recycle at
schoolrecycling.net/Grants.htm and fax it to Kelly at least one type of item
(603) 736-4402. If you have any questions, feel free for one year!
to call (603) 736-4401 or e-mail theclub@nrra.net. • That’s it! You can be
part of THE CLUB!
To Order Call 1-800-221-2384
4