| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |  | WASTE AND CONSUMPTION | To get started read this OVERVIEW | Use the tabs to navigate to other topics | |||||||||
2 | Topic Area | WHY: Goal - the big picture goal for this project | WHAT: Main Project Pathway for Achieving this Goal | Target Audience: Who is your unit of change? | Community Support | Key Stakeholders | Steps and Objectives: Steps to achieve your project goal. Expect that this plan will adapt and change over time. | Measuring Success: How do you know if your project was successful? | Needed Resources and TIme | Resource Links | |||
3 | Waste and Consumption | Examine current waste management practices and identify opportunities for improvement | Baseline Assessment and Plans: Conduct a comprehensive waste audit for a campus or facility, and advocate for adoption of recommendations. Waste audits include: - All phases of the waste system (sorting, hauling/processing, generation) - All Material Types (organics, recycling, ewaste, hazardous waste, etc.) - Curriculum & community engagement connections | District and Site Level Leadership, Staff | Waste Hauler Companies, County Government Programs, SMC Partners | Principals, Custodial Staff, Facilities Department, Business Services, Food Services Department, Faculty | 1) Conduct a comprehensive waste audit on your campus that evaluates all phases of the waste system - this will include obtaining waste facilities data from facilities or business services at your school or district. 2) Write-up the results of this assessment in a comprehensive report AND make recommendations to district and/or site leadership for possible strategies forward that would lower carbon footprint (commercial organic waste sorting, sustainable purchasing guides, signs and waste sorting trainings, etc.) 4) Discuss recommendations with other administrators and stakeholders. Create a plan for adopting those changes. This plan may include a phased approach and help your school or district set waste management priorities 5) Document outcomes from this waste audit and share story in school communication outlets | Baseline audit was conducted and report was completed. You were able to engage key decision makers and the recommendations based on your audit were discussed. A plan has been put in place to implement the highest priority changes. This story was shared with the school community. | - Audit Materials - Staff time for conducting audit and writing report - No outside funding needed | Example audits found here: https://sites.google.com/smcoe.org/smcoe-environmental-literacy/resources/green-campus/zero-waste-official/waste-campus-resources?authuser=0 | |||
4 | Waste and Consumption | Lower carbon footprint and ecological footprint through waste diversion and reduction | Physical Symbols of Change (waste stream): Advocate for and support implementation of commitments to diversion and waste reduction practices on campus. Each of the following examples needs to be paired with annual training efforts: - Tri-bin waste stations & commercial organics collection service - Reusable footwear/utensils - food share tables - Refill water bottle water stations - Hand Air dryers in bathrooms - Closed-loop waste example: turn-style compost, worm-bin, etc. - Reuse center or swap meet area | District and Site Level Leadership, Facilities Department, Food Services Department | Waste Hauler Companies, County Government Agencies, Volunteer Groups, SMC Partners | Principals, Custodial Staff, Facilities Department, Business Services, Food Services Department, Faculty | 1) Assess why this change is needed 2) Assemble a team that includes other administrators, student leaders, faculty, and community members 3) Develop project plan materials (infrastructure recommendations, identify funding source, detailed budget and timeline)* 3) Implement the change 4) Document the implementation and share the story in school communication outlets * At this point, depending on your role in the school/district you may need to request permission to move forward with your project from site or district leadership | You built momentum with stakeholders to support this project. A project plan was made and the change has been implemented. For projects with a longer timeline (such as installations of hand air dryers), the initial steps have been taken. The change is documented and the story is shared with your school community. Examples of quantifiable metrics include: - lbs of waste diverted from landfill - % diversion rate - # of tri-bin stations - # of refill water bottle stations installed - GHG emission reduction - % of school stakeholders trained on waste sorting - # of lessons on waste stream efforts incorporated into curriculum to support this project | - Materials for waste reduction practice - Staff time for project planning and implementation - Outside funding might be needed or acquired | https://sites.google.com/smcoe.org/smcoe-environmental-literacy/resources/green-campus/zero-waste-official/waste-campus-resources?authuser=0 | |||
5 | Waste and Consumption | Lowering carbon footprint and reduce waste | Physical Symbols of Change (purchasing): Advocate for and support the implementation of an environmentally preferable purchasing guide by an organization that reducing the generation of waste on a school campus. Example strategies include: - Food service packaging - Office supplies & printer/copier practices - Event/party supplies and catering - Giveaways or awards | District and Site Level Leadership, Facilities Department, Food Services Department | Vendors | Business Services, Food Services Department, Administrative Assistants, Purchasing Officers | 1) Assess what areas of purchasing to focus on for an environmentally preferable purchasing policy in your school or district. Waste reduction policies might overlap between departments. 2) Assemble a team that includes other administrators, student leaders, faculty, and community members 3) Develop an environmentally preferable purchasing guide that directly addresses your school community. This will include contacting vendors, and may include updating existing contracts with vendors.* 4) Train all purchasing officers on the purchasing guide. Update hiring procedures to include the purchasing guide. Plan on including updates and retraining on the purchasing guide to be a part of annual staff meetings. 5) Document the implementation and share the story in school communication outlets * At this point, depending on your role in the school/district you may need to request permission to move forward with your project from site or district leadership | You built momentum with stakeholders to support this project. A purchasing guide was adopted, relationships with any new vendors have been established, and staff is training on the purchasing guide. The change is documented and the story is shared with your school community. Example quantifiable metrics include: - % of staff trained - cost savings - lbs of waste diverted from landfill | - Purchasing guide or policy document - Staff time to research vendors and to be trained on guide | -SMCOE Catering Guide -BOWD Purchasing Guide -SMCOE Giveaways Guide | |||
6 | Waste and Consumption | Lower carbon footprint and ecological footprint through waste diversion and reduction | Behavior Change Challenge: Facilitating a school-wide challenge or event focused around waste reduction or waste diversion. The planning for this event will include mechanisms that ensure it is hosted annually. Examples include: - Lunchtime waste diversion challenge for each grade level - 30 Day zero waste challenge (collect in bag or jar) or keep a waste journal | Could be done for any school stakeholder group | Volunteer Groups, Community-Based Organizations, Green Teams, Regional/National/International Challenges and Awards Programs | Administrators, Activity Leaders, Communications Team/Lead, PTO | 1) Assess how and why a behavior change challenge will impact your schools overall mindset on waste and what type of material you want to focus on (plastics, microplastics, food waste, etc.) 2) Assemble a team to support the challenge including activity leaders. 3) Design a pledge and participation process (including steps for how to participate and prizes for participation) 4) Launch the waste reduction challenge (this may include hosting a fun kick-off event on campus, downtown, or virtually) 5) Document and track participation and reward participants 6) Share results of the waste reduction challenge with the broader community (article write-up) 7) Make a plan for how to institutionalize this event, or a similar event, so that the school community has a annual opportunity to raise awareness on waste issues | The challenge occurred, you tracked metrics and shared the metrics and success with your local community. Metrics recorded through participant surveys could look like amount of GHGs conserved, perception change of participants, etc. Example quantifiable metrics include: - % of each stakeholder group that participated - # of participants - participants lbs of waste diverted - perception change of participants | - Staff time to plan challenge - Potential Prizes for participation or launch event | https://sites.google.com/view/scrs-center/community-and-culture/competitions-challenges-and-collective-action?authuser=0 | |||
7 | Waste and Consumption | Lowering carbon footprint and ecological footprint through waste diversion and improve student learning outcomes | Curriculum Integration: Facilitate the integration of the waste systems topic into curriculum. Example projects include: - Support a department or school to define and identify waste systems in curriculum standards - Create a scope and sequence of standards-aligned lesson plans focused on waste systems for a district/school - Host, facilitate student leaders, or partner with a community organization to host a series of educational presentations on waste systems for multiple grade levels | Faculty, Department heads, Grade Level Leaders | CAELI Community Partner Hub: Environmental Education Providers, Supplemental Curriculum Providers | District Curriculum and Instruction Leads, Department Heads, Grade Level Leads, Principals | 1) Assess which grade levels or departments to focus on for this project. Alternatively, assess whether a school-wide or district-wide curriculum integration is the best option 2) Assemble a team to support the integration of this curriculum change. Teams can include faculty, students, community partners, and other administrators 3) Plan for the integration of new lessons or units of study. Provide trainings and support implementation 4) Document the process and share in school communication outlets | Lessons or units of study were conducted and success was documented. These stories were shared with your school or district community. - # of classes that participated across # of grade levels - # of lessons taught - # of students participated - knowledge or perception change of students | - Curriculum resources - Staff time for professional development, develop lesson plans, and implement - Fees for professional development facilitation - Potential Fees for student field experiences or guest speakers | K-12 Zero Waste Unit of Study Exemplar | |||
8 | |||||||||||||
9 | |||||||||||||
10 | |||||||||||||