Recycling in the Knox County School System

1
Recycling in the Knox County School System

• Improving awareness and participation in
  recycling programs.
• Carrie Rudder, Amy Hassenboehler, Sabrina Powers,
  Chris Brittain, Amie Chapman

2
Section One

• Explain the problem, causes and provide evidence
  there is a problem.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the problem.
• Review existing policies
• Explain disagreements
• Explain why the government should be involved in
  the solution.
• Present information to support.

3
Problem

• Awareness and participation in recycling needs to
  be raised in the public school system. School
  systems need to enforce the recycling policies
  that are in effect and improve the policies to
  decrease our footprint.
• The average American generates 4 pounds of trash
  each day. An estimated 80 of all materials in
  landfills could be recycled. Americans discard
  100 pounds of plastic and 30 billion foam cups
  each year.
• In Knox County less than 10 of the citizens
  recycle.

4
Existing policies in Knox County Schools

• Currently the Knox County school systems
  recycling policy states that all Elementary
  schools have recycling bins, but not all Middle
  and High schools have these bins.
• Advanced Polymer Recycling has placed bins in
  schools through drink it and sink it.
• The drink it and sink it program changed the
  milk containers from cardboard to a more easily
  recycled plastic container.
• Knox County schools recycle 1-7 goods including,
  but not limited to paper, plastic, and aluminum.
• Some schools have stepped up and are enforcing
  their recycling programs on a school to school
  basis, but there is no oversight.

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Disagreements with policy

• Cost to recycle
• Inconvenience and time needed
• Resources for space involved in collecting and
  storing recyclables
• Additional manpower needed to implement policies
• Difficulty getting others involved in the program

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The School board must be involved to

• Promote a uniformed recycling policy in each
  school.
• To fulfill their civic duty to protect the
  environment.
• Set the expectations of the future generations in
  order to promote leadership.

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Section Two

• Alternative policies.
• Advantages and disadvantages of alternative
  policies
• Identify controversies and conflicts to address
• Information to support policies

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Alternative policies and their advantages

• Knox County could make an environmental policy
  that is similar to those on University campuses.
• Students can form an organization or
  environmental group to organize, educate and
  collect the recyclables.

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University Policies

• Recycle and bring about awareness
• Make Orange Green policy
• Convenient recycling locations
• Comply with existing environmental laws and
  regulations
• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

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School Environmental groups

• Create recycling coordinator at each school (i.e.
  Davis Joint Unified school District in CA)
• Allow students to have a positive effect on their
  environment
• Possibility of earning additional funding raised
  from recycling
• Reduce cost of garbage removal

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Disadvantages

• There are few disadvantages at this time.
  Advanced Polymer Recycling currently does pick up
  at schools for free, but states that they will
  have to start charging if gas prices remain on
  the rise.
• This private company is doing this on a free
  basis in order to help promote awareness of the
  importance of recycling, but can not continue to
  indefinitely.

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Look at the changes you could make
It only takes a few minutes to recycle!!!
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Section Three

• Policy that addresses issues and who will be
  responsible.
• Reasoning and evidence as to why the policy is
  needed.
• Advantages and disadvantages.
• Explain why policy serves the purpose without
  violating the limit it places on the school
  board.
• Present information

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Policy and who will be responsible for enacting
the policy

• Who Knox County Schools
• Policy Agenda
• To promote awareness
• Allow for recycling convenience
• Oversight and enforcement of recycling policies
  on a school to school basis and county wide
  coordination

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Policy will

• Promote a higher participation rate.
• Set example of leadership and role models.
• Add Convenience
• County wide oversight would allow oversight that
  would encourage and even require that all schools
  in the system participate.

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Advantages and Disadvantages

• System wide control would make it easier to make
  sure each school lived up to their part.
• Environmental advantages too numerous to name.
• Civic awareness instilled in students.
• Environmental awareness to follow students
  throughout life.
• Disadvantages are few and far between only the
  coordination difficulties and storage of
  recyclable materials until pick up.

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Section Four

• Identify individuals and groups who need to be
  influenced
• Identify officials who need to be influenced
• Action plan for getting proposed policy enacted
• Proposed action

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Individuals, groups and officials that need to be
influenced

• School board
• Superintendent
• Principals
• Teachers
• Students
• Maintenance personnel
• Recycling community such as Advanced Polymer
  Recycling

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Action plan for getting policy enacted

• Approach school board with benefits to the
  environment and to the civic morality of the
  school system and students.
• Address principals about benefits to environment
  and students via emails or other formats to rally
  support for project.
• Select a school system coordinator to oversee all
  school involvement.
• Encourage students to form environmental groups
  to organize and run the program in each school.
• Seek out student and parent support for the
  program.

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Proposed actions

• Ensure all schools have proper recycling bins in
  convenient locations.
• Awareness should be brought by environmentalist
  and companies such as the Knoxville Recycling
  Coalition who will come to schools and speak free
  of charge on the advantages and importance of
  recycling.
• Have a system wide coordinator to oversee the
  program.
• Have a school coordinator and student group to
  run the program in each school.
• Provide recycling posters that can be obtained
  free from Environmentalist groups to each school
  to increase awareness.

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Documentation

• http//www.ciwmb.ca.gov/schools/wastereduce/Models
  /Districts.htmDavis
• http//www.ci.knoxville.tn.us/solidwaste/recyclefa
  cts.asp
• http//www.knoxvillebusiness.com/why-recycling-is-
  important.html
• http//environment.utk.edu/policy.html
• http//www.resourcefulschools.org/howto_scrpit.htm
  l