On average, students in the UK each generate 45kg of waste every year during school hours. This won’t all come from sneaking an extra pack of crisps into their lunchbox. Much of it will come from their classroom activities. While many classes only require a pencil and a workbook, others are more hands-on, utilising different materials for different ways of working.
Classes like these generate waste in larger amounts. This might sound worrying at first, especially if your school is aiming to be sustainable; however, that’s where Agecko comes in to help. By identifying the classes that may generate more waste, we can create new solutions to minimise waste. In the cases where classes generate more specific types of waste, we will ensure it’s disposed of through the correct streams.
So, as a school, which classes should be a focus in your waste management plan?
Art classes and recycling opportunities
For many budding artists, their school days are when they have the opportunity to express themselves through drawing, painting, sculpting, and textiles. Art class can be a formative experience, so giving students access to a wealth of materials is key to encouraging this.
What art class also leads to is a wide variety of waste materials needing disposal. Scraps of cloth trimmed to a specific shape, broken clay from failed pottery projects, and countless recyclable materials contaminated by glue and paint all increase the weight of your waste collections. What can you do?
Well, like Science and Geography, Art can be another subject on the syllabus that incorporates sustainability as a key focus. You could dedicate a unit to creating something only using recycled materials, encouraging students to learn about the impact the materials used have on the environment. Furthermore, you could encourage separation at the source, ensuring that the wide variety of materials used during class are disposed of effectively, minimising environmental harm.
Finally, you can incorporate the circular economy into classroom operations by ensuring that scraps of materials, such as fabrics, are collected and reused. Sometimes, a project only needs a small bit of material. By encouraging students not to throw away the textiles they haven’t used, you can hold onto them and help other classes find new inspiration.
Managing WEEE waste in IT classrooms
We’re living in an electronic age, so it’s vital for our youth to engage with technology and gain a thorough understanding of it to thrive in a world increasingly reliant on digital solutions. Almost every school in the country has at least one classroom filled with computers for the students to learn with.
This, however, can lead to improper use, resulting in broken electronics such as keyboards, monitors and PCs breaking down for a number of reasons (students not being gentle, accidental viruses, etc). While we recommend maintenance to ensure your school’s technology can live a long life, sometimes the time is up for your mouse.
By incorporating Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) into your school’s sustainable waste management plan, you ensure that your old computer parts are disposed of responsibly. Many electronic devices contain small components made of hazardous materials. These must not be disposed of like other waste and require specialist treatment to minimise environmental harm. Furthermore, key components can be salvaged and reused to mend other devices. Finally, after the equipment is broken down, the materials can be reused to create new products, helping to minimise the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing.
Food waste in food technology lessons
Helping young people to develop key life skills, while understanding nutrition is vital to their development. Food tech prepares students for the future and can also establish the foundation for a new hobby that encourages creativity.
Understandably, however, Food Tech can generate large amounts of food waste, whether from scraps and peels or from full, burnt batches of buns. Classroom bins will full up fast, so it’s important to have a directive for food waste in your waste management plan. One of the main uses of food waste, categorised as biomass, is the production of biofuels. Biofuels are a type of renewable energy produced by breaking down food.
Biofuel is becoming increasingly popular, especially as fossil fuels are not just unsustainable but also more expensive. By separating this waste at the source and establishing a solution within your waste management plan, you can be safe in the knowledge that:
- Your waste is going to good use.
- Your carbon emissions are reduced.
- Your waste volume is reduced.
- Your waste costs have gone down.
- You will receive monthly reporting detailing your carbon saving and reductions.
How Agecko supports school waste management
Agecko can provide your school with a detailed breakdown of every necessary waste stream, putting you on the path to zero waste to landfill. We can start with a free waste audit to find the root of any problems, then create a waste management plan that aims to address every area of concern. As a waste consultancy and brokerage, the plan we develop will utilise local waste management companies, disposal and recycling sites to minimise transport costs. Every aspect of your waste management plan will be optimised to minimise cost and maximise sustainability.
For your free school audit, get in touch today.
