Rancho Elementary School
When Rancho Elementary School began working with Sustainable Marin Schools (SMS) in November, 2022, they were on the right path. They were already composting yard waste, putting recyclables from the kitchen in the recycling dumpster, and disposing of unwanted milk down the drain. But they wanted to do more to address waste in their school. At first they were only recycling and composting about % they could, and the rest was ending up in landfill.
Students were trained how to sort their lunch waste and classroom waste, provided the containers and clear informational signs, and were empowered to partake in climate action in their own schools. Students, parents, and grandparents volunteered as compost monitors, making sure waste made it into the right place. The results were profound.
By the end of the school year, the school was getting 90-95% of it's recycling and composting into the correct waste stream. They recycled over 9,000 lbs. of recyclables, over 55,000 lbs. of food waste, and they reduces their carbon dioxide emissions almost 40,000 by simply composting food waste rather than sending it to landfill.
Students were trained how to sort their lunch waste and classroom waste, provided the containers and clear informational signs, and were empowered to partake in climate action in their own schools. Students, parents, and grandparents volunteered as compost monitors, making sure waste made it into the right place. The results were profound.
By the end of the school year, the school was getting 90-95% of it's recycling and composting into the correct waste stream. They recycled over 9,000 lbs. of recyclables, over 55,000 lbs. of food waste, and they reduces their carbon dioxide emissions almost 40,000 by simply composting food waste rather than sending it to landfill.
Monica Valaquez LopezMonica has been integral to the success of the program. Sustainable Marin Schools thanks her for her hard work, dedication, and creative solutions.
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Novato High School
Novato High School's Sustainability Club wanted to reboot its classroom recycling and begin to tackle the schools lunch waste. With financial assistance from the Rotary Club of Novato, they were able to get the supplies that they needed for new classroom recycling containers and created their own informational recycling and composting signs. Fall 2023, Novato High Schools students and teachers will all learn what can be recycled and composted on campus, have refreshers on classroom recycling and introduce a food waste composting program. In addition, they will provide left over lunches to those in need, rather than throwing it away.
