Southeast Elementary School
Southeast Elementary School in Mansfield Center, CT has created one of the most exciting models for school recycling programs that not only reduces waste but also puts the waste to good use, educates the community and develops strong student leaders.
Begun in 1991, the school first committed itself to recycling its cans, glass, and paper. In 1997, Southeast was awarded a Toyota Tapesty grant, which allowed the school to purchase a commercial composter and they now compost all their food waste and that of 2 other nearby schools.
Southeast’s program keeps growing and growing. By 2000, the school formed an after-school environmental club called Green Thumbs. Third grade teacher Mickey Maheu coordinates the club with the help of 40 third and fourth graders, who lead many recycling activities at the school. This includes: composting all cafeteria food waste, and monitoring the composting and recycling buckets at lunchtime, planting gardens on the school grounds with the compost, and recycling printer and ink cartridges, cell phones and sneakers. They also educate their peers by holding events like “Zero-Waste Lunch Day” and speaking to all the classrooms in the school.
The school also purchases products such as paper bathroom tissue, breakfast bags and cafeteria pan liners with recycled content. Even the front garden boxes are made from recycled plastic. Faculty and staff reduce waste by making double-sided copies and reuse paper as much as possible.
The students have also created a system to put the waste to good use. The students use the soil from the compost for their greenhouse, and raise money through an annual plant sale. By taking an active role in their school’s reduce, reuse, recycle activities, educating other students and constantly finding ways to improve on their program, the Green Thumbs club member have learned what it takes to be leaders.
As an acknowledgement of all their hard work, Southeast Elementary School received one of the first Green Flag Awards given by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice’s Green Flag Program for reduce, reuse and recycling efforts. The Green Flag Program also supports school programs in integrated pest management, in-door air quality and use of non-toxic products.
For more information on how you can start a Green Flag Program in your school, visit www.greenflagschools.org.
Adapted from Green Flag Schools Success Stories.
