BLS Recycling Projects

Information from First Recycling Committee:

First of all, we would like to say that we are proud to have been so successful in encouraging a big change in the recycling of lunch trays during third lunch. We made lots of posters, and sandwich board signs. A couple of us continue to relentlessly patrol the garbage bins at the end of 3rd lunch to check for trays that went into the trash in error. Since the initial buzz died down we have seen more people not using the recycling bins, but we would like to say that we need your recycling efforts now more than ever! Please continue to use the recycling bins provided!

In order to encourage you to do so, the Recycling Committee is going to sponsor a Lunch Competition between all of the three lunches. Every week we will post a rough estimate of how many filled recycling barrels each lunch has produced and identify which lunch is in the lead in terms of successful recycling!

The Recycling Committee is also working on other initiatives such as:

•a BLS building report card on recycling

•Merit Awards for Faculty and Administrators who are notable for their recycling efforts and for reducing their energy footprint in the building (turn off your lights)

•building-wide use of recycled paper

•building-wide recycling of cans and bottles

If you have any ideas to help us realize our goals, or if you would be willing to be a “lunch watcher” who helps us with our Lunch Competition by reporting the count of full recycling bins during your lunch, we could really use your help. Please e-mail us using the email address on this page.

For the 2008/2009 school year the BLS Recycling Projects planning group of Youth CAN has several projects for the current school year.

1. We are working on revamping our foam tray recycling program at BLS by meeting with faculty who work the lunches and enlisting their support for enforcing the recycling program. Students have created I support recycling at BLS badges for faculty who work the lunches to wear in the lunches. Cafeteria staff will also get the badges.

2.Recycling group students are also working on establishing a plan and funding for a pilot can and bottle recycling program at BLS, including a community service credit component for students who help with the recycling. We are contacting recycling contractors for pricing of a dumpster and pick up service for a pilot year.

3.Students are also working on writing a grant for the funding to pay for the cost of a dumpster collection service for the pilot year.

4.The recycling group has established room 025 as a battery, printer cartridge, and cell phone recycling drop off center in the building.

5.Recycling group members are also looking into a recycling competition that Youth CAN could participate in for prize money that would help pay for Youth CAN’s annual summit.

Our Light Bulb Drive!
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Dear Youth CAN volunteers,

On behalf of the Mayor and our office, I thank you all for your participation at the 10th anniversary celebration at Millennium Park last Saturday. It was a special occasion marking the 10th anniversary of the opening of this wonderful neighborhood treasure. As the Mayor said in his remarks, the park has become an urban oasis for many family activities. The capping of this former landfill to be used as parkland is an environmental achievement. The Mayor also remarked on the importance of community stewardship of the park. Public involvement is a key to the success of this park, and the many volunteers at the celebration, including all of you, help to underscore the Mayor's point. I did not have an opportunity to meet you all on Saturday to thank you for helping to provide residents with information on the city's recycling program.

Thank you and keep up the important work of Youth CAN!

Nancy

Collecting Signatures

This year BLS Youth CAN students collected over 600 signatures and attended a meeting where they submitted the signatures as part of a successful request to be a school that would have a zero-sort recycling pilot through Casella Recycling for the 2010-2011 school year.

A Zero-Sort Recycling Pilot

We implemented the pilot the second week of school with announcements throughout all the lunches and daily bulletin, all homerooms, by making a recycling video and in faculty mailboxes.

Getting the Word Out

We made over 40 posters to announce the program in the school cafeteria and a cardboard bin for every classroom with permanent sign to signify the shift to zero-sort recycling and created a contest between the three school lunches promising a prize for the one that recycles the most. First lunch is currently in the lead.

Our Recycling Skit

We made a skit about the recycling initiative that we performed in front of the entire school during ACE assemblies. The recycling push has been a huge success so far. Since the assemblies on 10/12/10, there has been a 40% reduction in trash among the school, accompanied with an increase in recycling.

Why Recycling is Important Video

We entered the Abitibi Paper Retriever Creative Recycle challenge.

Check out the recycling posters we made for the dining hall! Help yourself to a free download!

SUCCESS!

Thanks to all who made the 2010/2011 Zero-Sort Recycling Pilot at Boston Latin School a success. We cut our trash emissions in HALF! Special thanks to Casella Recycling for donating the pick up service for the entire year. The pilot was so successful the City of Boston is now developing a request for proposals to establish City-Wide Zero-Sort Recycling in all BPS schools by 2013.