Amount of paper recovered for recycling in 2009: 1,336 tons
Grades Collected: Corrugated (Cardboard) Containers, Newspapers, Magazines, Mixed Paper, Paperboard, Kraft Bags, Office Paper, Direct Mail, Catalogs, Telephone Books, and Food Service Trays and Boats
School District Population:- 29,917 students
- 2,000 staff members
- 33 elementary schools
- 7 middle schools
- 6 high schools
Lodi Unified School District first started recycling as part of a state mandate made twenty years ago. At that time California Waste Recovery Systems teamed up with District science teachers to create a recycling and landfill curriculum for second and fourth graders. To help educate staff and students about the importance of the new recycling program, California Waste sent their recycling team into the schools to promote paper recovery and recycling. This effort coincided with the kick-off of a community-wide recycling program that included the distribution of bins to all residents.
How is the school recycling program administered?A cooperative team effort between Lodi Unified School District staff and California Waste Recovery Systems has helped make the recycling program a success. At the schools, student volunteers, recycling clubs, student government officers, and custodial staff all join forces to collect recyclable materials from the classrooms. The collected material is them placed in an onsite recycling dumpster. At semi-annual custodial training sessions, site personnel share best practices with each other to increase district recycling.
How are students, educators, faculty, and custodial staff educated about the school’s recycling program?Communication and training are critical to the success of the recycling program. The school district and California Waste each have staff members dedicated to monitoring the recovery of recyclables and the training colleagues and students. Students learn what is recyclable through classroom discussions, interactive assemblies, and special events. The district’s newsletter is another tool for educating students and promoting the recovery program.
School administrators believe that for the program to be truly successful, it must: make recycling easy and fun; educate and empower people to make a difference; measure, monitor, and manage programs at individual schools; encourage and challenge occupants at each site to achieve their individual goals; and celebrate success.
What partnerships have been formed to promote recycling in the school?The school district has built relationships and formed partnerships with residents, businesses, and local government to promote increased recycling throughout their district. District departments such as Food Service, Purchasing, Transportation, and Warehouse along with Maintenance & Operations have teamed up with California Waste to research and improve how the district can recover more options to recover recyclable materials. The same items that can be recovered for recycling at school sites are now also collected in the residential recycling program.
Thanks to grants received from San Joaquin County Solid Waste Department, every classroom in the district is equipped with recycling bins, school sites have received rolling recycling carts, and students and staff are encouraged to recycle through ongoing education and training.
How do you measure improvements in the program?California Waste Recovery Systems and Lodi Unified School District jointly track recovery levels at each of the district’s 50 sites. Through this reporting process, the district measures recovery results at individual schools and identifies and assists lower performing schools in an effort to help improve their efforts. Recently the district’s largest high school (more than 2,000 students) went from a 27 percent diversion rate to 68 percent in less than two years as a result of the recycling education program.
How is the program's cost-effectiveness tracked?The detailed monthly reports are also the basis for tracking and measuring trash and recyclables collection expenses. Anytime recycling is increased at a Lodi Unified School District site, the equivalent trash volume is reduced. The net result is a reduction in monthly costs. When a new school or facility is opened, the recovery of recyclables resources is automatically implemented and adjusted as recovery efforts improve. Lodi Unified School District is now spending 20 percent less for consolidated trash and recycling collection services than it did in 2005, despite several new schools having opened since then.
Additional Resources Contact
- In 2010, 63.5 percent of the paper used in the U.S. was recovered for recycling. This represents an 89 percent increase in the recovery rate since 1990.
- Every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.
- 87 percent (268 million) of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs.
- In 2010 the amount of paper recovered for recycling averaged 334 pounds for each man, woman and child in the United States.