Separating, reducing, reusing, recycling and composting are good options for managing school waste. As a board of trustees, you have to find ways to get rid of school waste with the least negative effects on the environment. Incinerating and building waste pits on the school grounds can only be done by schools with no other options.

1. Separate waste

Separating waste is the first step in managing your school’s rubbish. Set up bins for the different kinds of waste, and make sure the right bins are used. You should have clearly labelled bins for glass, paper, plastic, cans and for organic waste.

2. Reduce waste

Avoid sending waste to a landfill. Landfills cause environmental problems, such as unpleasant smells and contaminants and toxins leeching into water and the air.

Educate staff and students about using other ways of disposing of waste, such as recycling, reusing and composting.

3. Reuse waste

Think about reusing waste around the school and the school community, including:

taking lost property to your local opportunity shop

using plastic bags as bin liners or as packaging (instead of bubble wrap)

having students make recycled paper and use shredded paper as bedding for pets.

4. Recycle waste

Contact your local council to find out what can be recycled in your area. Generally, you can recycle:

glass

paper and cardboard

cans

plastic.

Make sure recycle bins are used correctly and that the items are clean when they go in the bin.

For recycling to work, educating students and staff is essential. Some local councils help schools to set up recycling programmes and educate their staff and students.

5. Compost organic waste

Separate organic waste, like food scraps, plants, paper and lawn clippings, from other rubbish.

Use organic waste for composting and teach students about how it works. You can use the compost on the school gardens, saving on the cost of fertiliser and other chemicals. You could set up worm farms, which can be used to teach parts of the curriculum.