BPS DECLUTTER & �“GREEN-OUT” GUIDE

DECLUTTERING BENEFITS

• Decrease in pests - clutter attracts and harbors pests; clutter also impedes the IPM contractor from inspecting and treating areas of the school
• Decrease in asthma triggers such as dust - clutter collects dust
• Improved air quality - clutter often blocks HVAC sources
• Improved access for daily custodial work - clutter impedes more thorough cleaning of surfaces and floors
• Increase in available school space for academics, enrichment, and organized storage
• Improved cleanliness and “look” of the school for school community and visitors

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SCHOOL DECLUTTERING: BEST PRACTICES

1. Promote decluttering at the beginning and end of the academic year, and periodically throughout the year.
2. Conduct a full school walk-through. Identify all cluttered areas. Identify all approved, shared storage spaces. Be sure to include mechanical and boiler rooms which cannot be used for storage.
3. Communicate what can be reused, recycled, donated, and landfilled, then label/organize the clutter for the appropriate removal process. See BPS Zero Waste Program Contacts for directions.
4. Address books, curriculum, and school records and archives first. Review all related policies and have a shredding plan, if applicable.
5. Schedule a Facilities review of all unwanted furniture. Separate e-waste and hazardous waste from all other waste. Create organized storage. Consider creating a school reuse station.
6. Identify a teachers’ lounge and set-up appliances there, while removing personal appliances and extension cords throughout the building.
7. Schedule dates for clutter removal, including e-waste removal and dumpster services. Schedule a volunteer day to kick-off the effort and create momentum. Take before and after photos. Celebrate!

ITEMS OF NOTE: DOCUMENTS & BOOKS

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Please refer to the BPS, City, and State Retention Policies for questions regarding school records and student information. Do not shred or dispose of sensitive documents without first reviewing these policies.

BPS Office of Academics & Professional learning should always be contacted first for all questions related to the reuse, recycling*, or donation of books and curriculum.

�*Hardcover books CANNOT be recycled in the school’s blue bins, only paperback can be recycled.

MATERIALS REUSE & RECYCLING

• Zero Waste Program and Education
• Contact Ginny Leary, vleary@bostonpublicschools.org or 857-693-0341, or visit bostongreenschools.org/zero-waste if you have questions about the BPS Zero Waste Program or need educational materials and support.
• Recycling Equipment
• If your school needs recycling equipment (boxes, carts, barrels, lids, wheels, or signage), please complete the Zero Waste Equipment Request form to request free equipment from Facilities Management. BPS Warehouse staff will deliver the equipment. Get the form at bostongreenschools.org/zero-waste.
• Single-stream Recycling
• Paper, and most plastic, glass, and metal containers can be recycled and picked up curbside by the Public Works Department (PWD). Learn more at https://www.boston.gov/trash-and-recycling.
• Question about a particular item? Visit the state’s RecycleSmartMA.org and use the Recyclopedia tool.
• Was your curbside recycling not picked up? Call the City of Boston 311 or report through the 311 App. PWD will be notified immediately of your missed pick-up. Indicate your school, your address, and the issue you had with a missed pick-up.
• Contact Rob Geary, rgeary@bostonpublicschools.org or 617-763-1030, if you have questions or concerns related to the trash and recycling dumpsters.
• Cardboard Recycling
• All corrugated cardboard must be separated from the single-stream recycling, flattened, and stacked into hampers for pickup, because BPS receives income for cardboard that is put back into the recycling program. Cardboard is regularly collected by BPS Warehouse Staff, separately from PWD’s curbside pick-up.
• Contact Conroy Oates, 617-828-0712, if your school needs an additional cardboard pickup or there were issues with the collection.
• Food Waste
• Food waste should never be put into any type of recycling bin, barrel, or cart, nor should it be put into classroom trash bins. For school cafeterias that have the BPS Food Waste Collection Program, food waste must be put into the green carts. For all other schools, food waste must be put in the large, 32 gallon gray trash barrels. By putting food waste into the correct containers, you are helping to prevent pests, spills, and odors in the classrooms and cafeterias.
• Contact Ginny Leary, vleary@bostonpublicschools.org or 857-693-0341, with questions about food waste.

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MATERIALS REUSE & RECYCLING

• Reuse: Books, School and Art Materials, Sports Equipment, Clothing, etc.
• Consider setting-up a “reuse station” in your school for unwanted school supplies that could be used by another person in the school.
• Contact the Office of Academics and Professional Learning, bostonpublicschools.org/Domain/2439, for anything related to unwanted books or curriculum.
• Clothing and textiles can be placed in the Bay State Textiles or Helpsy Boxes, which can be found at multiple school locations. Learn more at bostongreenschools.org/zero-waste, including how your school can add a textiles recycling box to your schoolyard.
• Furniture
• All furniture waste must be reviewed by BPS Facilities Management for reuse, redistribution, or proper disposal.
• Contact Richelle Singh-Williams, rsingh@bostonpublicschools.org or 617-635-9648 for any furniture related questions.
• Electronic (anything with a plug or cord) and Toner/Ink Cartridge Recycling
• BPS OIIT manages the collection of old and recyclable IT equipment such as printers, monitors, computers, and TV’s, and ink and toner cartridges.
• Complete Form 57 & submit to OIIT. OIIT will schedule a vendor to pick-up the items. Get the form at bostongreenschools.org/zero-waste.
• Universal Waste/Hazardous Waste
• All universal waste (lamps, batteries, mercury-containing devices, and pesticides) and hazardous waste must be properly labeled and stored in the school’s accumulation location.
• Contact Maria Carvalho, marcarvalho2@bostonpublicschools.org or 617-828-0695, to schedule a pick-up.
• Metal Recycling
• Contact Rob Geary, rgeary@bostonpublicschools.org or 617-763-1030, to recycle metal furniture or scrap items.
• Yard Waste
• Prior to accumulating yard waste, contact Sean Byrne, sbyrne@bostonpublicschools.org or 617-293-3889 to schedule a pick-up. All schoolyard waste must be bagged in compostable brown bags or in plastic barrels. All branches need to be cut into small pieces and bundled.
• Facility Alterations, Additions, Construction, and Demolition: Building elements permanently or semi-permanently attached to the building itself, including all studs, insulation, doors, windows, panels, drywall, trim, ceiling panels, carpet, flooring material, adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings should be reused or recycled to the greatest extent possible. Massachusetts law bans clean gypsum wallboard, concrete, asphalt, brick and wood from disposal in the trash.
• BPS Facilities Management shall coordinate with contractors and Public Facilities Department, when applicable, to ensure building repair projects are complying with all waste removal laws.

HOST A SCHOOL “GREEN OUT”

The end of the academic year is an exciting time for both students and teachers as they look forward to summer – but it can be hectic!

School materials are often sent to the landfill in the rush to clean-out classrooms, desks, and lockers.

Coordinate a Green Out to reuse and recycle those materials, and reduce the environmental impact of your school’s end of the year purge.

YEAR-END “GREEN OUT” STEPS

1. Bring Together a Team – Get other teachers, students, administrators, parents, and custodial staff on-board with the Green Out.
2. Identify Your School’s Keep, Recycle, Donate, and Landfill Materials –Utilize the directions and contacts in this guide to determine what can be reused, recycled, donated, or landfilled. Label or organize these materials for their appropriate courses of action.
3. Organize Event Details – Create a plan of action for the Green Out. A basic event should include what materials you will focus on, when each section of the school will Green Out, where to place collection containers, and how the materials will be transported to where they need to end up. Utilize the decluttering best practices previously described.
4. Educate – Promote your event with announcements, posters, and any necessary directions.
5. Green Out and Celebrate – Take photos of the Green Out, measure the amount materials that were saved from the landfill, and email BPS Healthy & Sustainable Schools about your success.