Conserve: Reuse

It is important to show students the value of reusing things. Some ideas for projects:

1. Establish a two-sided policy for paper use for everyone in the school.

2. Place a cup rack near the sink and coffee machines for guests. Ask faculty and staff members to use their own cups and mugs for coffee and water.

3. Wash and reuse lunch trays in your cafeteria kitchen.

4. Encourage teachers and students to reuse cafeteria cans or other items for planters, holiday decorations, etc.

5. Ask art teachers to plan earth projects using bottle caps, CDs, egg cartons, etc. (Examples and materals are available at the Sonoco Recycling Education Center.)

6. Plan an annual "Rethink" contest at your school. Students can make trash-to-treasure "inventions" or art. Richland and Lexington County schools may send digital pictures and student written descriptions of three projects to Jane Hiller. Each year's winner will receive a $100 cash prize and media fame! Ask if you live in another county; there may be similar opportunities where you live.

7. Utlize "trashables" for games and crafts at family fairs or carnivals. Make or purchase reused treasures for prizes.

8. Collect and sort "locker left overs" at the end of the school year for someone to reuse. Students from Pine Ridge MS in Lexington School District Two sort all the things they don’t want at the end of the school year into labeled boxes.  School supplies are packed away for the following year and clothes etc are given to charity. In spring 2008, only 2 bags of actual garbage ended up in the trash dumpster.