As part of our Climate Leadership Contest, we invited schools to share how they took climate action during COP 22 (November 7-18, 2016) for the chance to be entered into a $500 prize draw from Cascades. This spring, we will be sharing our winning schools’ stories.
Here is how Grade 5 and Grade 8 students at Jack Chambers PS in TVDSB worked together on a “There’s a Place for your Waste” campaign. Responses are based on a condensed interview with the Jack Chambers PS EcoTeam.
What was the action you chose and how does it relate to climate change?
In the fall, a dedicated team of Grade 5 and Grade 8 students planned a comprehensive waste reduction campaign called There’s a Place for Your Waste.
How did you communicate the campaign with the rest of the school?
We used posters, announcements, assemblies, social media, and signage to teach the school where to put waste. The EcoTeam completed a waste audit and taught students, staff and the whole school community where to correctly place their waste – from plastic containers to paper to compost in order to divert as much as possible from landfill. After a few weeks, the EcoTeam found that the school was doing a good job of recycling and had reduced the amount of landfill-bound waste produced.
What do you hope to achieve with this campaign?
Reducing the amount of garbage we produce as a school helps decrease the amount of money, energy and natural resources used to treat waste in our community, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions. For example, methane is released as organic matter decomposes in landfills; placing organic waste into municipal green bins or your own composting heap is beneficial because it undergoes aerobic decomposition, thus producing carbon dioxide instead of methane. Getting the whole school involved in There’s a Place for Your Waste has changed not only our behaviour at school, but also beyond school walls; students have passed along their knowledge on proper waste sorting to their families and other members of their communities.
How did the action impact your school community and EcoTeam habits?
Reducing the amount of garbage and recycling properly has had a positive effect on the school and the community. At school, custodians are happy to report that they can see a visible difference in the amount of garbage and recyclable materials they collect – it makes their jobs easier! The Recycle Team will continue to make announcements and use social media to reinforce the campaign. They will also do spot checks in classrooms to make sure students keep up their conscientious waste sorting. We also hope to expand our green cone program to more students and staff will learn the benefits of composting.
What other climate actions does Jack Chambers have planned for this year?
Jack Chambers takes part in a host of environmentally friendly initiatives that contribute to climate action. Just a few of these campaigns are:
- Walking Wednesdays – October
- Water bottle campaign and water fountain retrofits – year-round
- Lights Off Lunches – February
- Growing tree seedlings and planting trees – fall and winter; planting in spring
- Earth Week and Earth Hour activities – winter
- Adopt-a-Park – spring
Our tips and further reading:
- Planning your own school-wide waste minimization campaign? You can claim it in either Question 3.3 or 6.1-6.4 in your online application. For full requirements of Environmental Stewardship, please review the 2016-17 Certification Guide.
- Have you done your follow-up EcoReviews? Remember to fill out your worksheet and input results in the online application.
- Can waste minimization efforts have a measurable impact on your school’s waste generation? Read our Waste Performance Study highlights to find out.
- Here are more tips from Waste Reduction Week on cutting down on waste at school and implementing sustainability into the school curriculum throughout the year.
- Get background information on Municipal Solid Waste and Greenhouse Gases from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.
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