Physical Place:
Reduce, Reuse,
Rethink, Recycle
START Metric #31:
Transition Waste
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Ideas & Resources
What is this:
Transition waste refers to any items usually discarded at the end of the school year, from student, classroom and office materials (e.g. stationery, utensils and books) to kitchen, cleaning and maintenance supplies. This metric focuses on organizing annual clean-outs (including all students) aimed at reusing or recycling this waste, and eventually employing source-reduction strategies.
Why this is important:
With hundreds, and sometimes thousands of individuals making up the school body, schools produce an enormous amount of aggregated waste each year (with both environmental and financial impacts). Schools need to proactively engage in waste reduction strategies to decrease product consumption and to reduce the waste sent to landfills. Moreover, when students engage in the process of evaluating and sorting their waste each year, they learn invaluable lessons about the impact of their individual and collective consumption habits, and learn strategies to reuse, recycle and reduce waste.
Strategies for Transition Waste Management
NOTE: This is not a prescriptive list; it just offers ideas to inspire action and can be tailored to fit the unique needs of each school.
Plan an Annual Clean-Out Event
Organize a dedicated clean-out day or week involving students, staff, and families.
Provide clear instructions and resources for sorting items into categories like reuse, recycle, or donate.
Set Up Collection Stations
Create designated areas for items such as books, supplies, electronics, and clothing.
Clearly label bins for recyclable materials, reusable items, and hazardous waste.
Partner with Local Organizations
Work with local charities, shelters, or second-hand stores to donate reusable items.
Collaborate with recycling facilities or e-waste collection centers for proper disposal.
Encourage Creative Reuse Projects
Organize art or upcycling projects using discarded materials like cardboard, paper, or fabric.
Host a “swap shop” where students and staff can trade items they no longer need.
Incorporate Source-Reduction Strategies
Transition to digital solutions for assignments, reports, and communication to reduce paper waste.
Encourage the use of durable, reusable school supplies like binders, water bottles, and lunch containers.
Involve Students in Planning and Execution
Create student-led committees to organize the clean-out event and raise awareness.
Teach students how to properly sort waste and identify reusable materials.
Host End-of-Year Donation Drives
Encourage students and families to donate unwanted items before the clean-out begins.
Focus on high-need items like clothing, books, and lightly used school supplies.
Set up a clothing swap, especially for schools with uniforms and early childhood centers.
Track and Share Results
Measure the amount of waste diverted from landfills and share this data with the school community.
Celebrate achievements to reinforce the value of the clean-out effort.
Provide Education on Waste Reduction
Teach students about the environmental impact of waste and the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling.
Include waste management lessons in science or sustainability curricula.
Evaluate and Improve Each Year
Gather feedback from participants to identify what worked well and what could be improved.
Adjust strategies and set higher goals for waste reduction each year.
‘How To’ Guides
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Locker Leftovers Guide
From StopWaste, this guide provides a step-by-step outline of how to implement an end-of-year locker cleanout based on the situation at your school.
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Green Locker Clean-Out Guide
From Zero Waste Schools, this guide takes you through basic planning, setting up sorting stations, running a clean out and promoting the event.
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End Plastics Quizzes
From EarthDay.org, is a resource featuring interactive online quizzes designed to get students thinking about waste management and plastic recycling!
Schools hold the key to a healthy, sustainable and regenerative future.
They are role-models and incubators that that nurture, educate and prepare each generation for adult life.
Schools have a unique opportunity and profound responsibility to become part the transition to a sustainable, regenerative future in which people and planet can thrive.
But how do we get there?
START: Sustainability Tracking, Analytics & Roadmap Tool was created by schools, for schools, to help them develop comprehensive programs for step-by-step progress towards sustainability, regenerative practice, and student empowerment.
START provides a Roadmap for School Sustainability:
It breaks down school sustainability into clear actions (‘metrics’), such as Minimizing Waste, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and supporting Sustainable Transportation options.
However, research shows it’s not enough for a school to simply reduce its environmental impact.
Students and staff also need to learn about sustainability, and practice it in day-to-day activities, because this impacts their attitudes and behaviors when they leave school. That’s why START includes metrics like Sustainability Events for Students, Sustainability Course Content, and Sustainable Purchasing Practices.
How sustainable is our school now?
Schools use START to measure how sustainable they are now. A school’s START team investigates how their school currently operates to find their ‘sustainability baseline’ for each metric. For example, is our school a beginner, intermediate or advanced in sustainable water use? START enables schools to benchmark, track and visualize their current sustainability levels, as well as hard data around their waste, water, energy and greenhouse gas emissions.
Where should we go next, and do we collaborate for success?
What do we need to do to ‘level up’ in each metric? Once schools have their baselines, START helps them to set goals and plan for progress. START provides a central hub for school members to collaborate, document, and plan their school’s sustainability journey.
START is a subscription-based Whole School Sustainability dashboard.
It requires at least one adult school member to create a school’s START account, but it will need a team (students, teachers and staff) to grow a Whole School Sustainability program.
Interested schools can sign up for a demo or apply to set up an account.
Learn more about START here, and consider sharing the brochure with your school.
Let’s create a better future, one school at a time.
Contact us at guides@greenschoolsalliance.org if you have a free resource to contribute or recommend that can help schools take action around this specific sustainability metric.