Mecklenburg County School Recycling Program

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Mecklenburg County School Recycling Program
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• Why Did the County Become Involved?

• 1997 Solid Waste Management Plan
• organizations with commercial
  waste-includingschools, and government
  agencies---called upon to reduce the amount of
  waste disposed. Government and schools are
  targeted to lead the way.

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• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) Waste
  Contract History

• Before 1998-99 school year, garbage contract
  managed by school purchasing department
• Before 1998-99 school year, 10-12 schools had
  recycling programs

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Recycling Program Development

• Reviewed CMS waste contract and hauling records
• Interviewed key staff at 10 schools
• Monitored waste collection services at 10 schools
  to determine if level of service was correct
• Findings- No consistent level of trash collection
  service based on school population needs

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• Waste Sort

• Types quantities of recyclables in waste stream
• 3 School levels
• High School-35
• Middle School-40
• Elementary-25

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• Pilot Recycling Program

• 3 Schools

• Recycling dumpster provided for collection

• Materials Collected cardboard, mixed paper,
  aluminum/steel cans, plastic bottles

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• Combined Contract

• SW approached Park Recreation, County Building
  and Grounds, CPCC and CMS about combining solid
  waste services.
• A commingled fiber recycling program was included
  in the solid waste services proposed

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• RFP

• Sent out an RFP for solid waste/recycling service
• Prices came back favorable

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Interlocal Agreement

• In 1998, Mecklenburg County and CMS, signed an
  Interlocal Agreement for Solid Waste and
  Recycling Collection Services. This allowed the
  County and CMS to consolidate their collection
  services and achieve a greater scale of economics.

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• Recycling Program
• Implementation Process

• Implementation began September 1998-Targeted
  completion March 1999
• Memo from assistant superintendent sent to all
  principals
• County Recycling Team
• Coordinate meetings with schools
• Distribute materials
• Coordinate delivery of recycling dumpster
• Troubleshoot problems

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• Recycling Program
• Implementation Process

• Recycling supplies provided by the County
• Signs and locks for dumpsters
• Curriculum
• Posters
• Collection containers

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Do Recycle

• Notebook paper
• Fax paper
• Computer/copy paper
• White colored paper
• Legal pads
• Construction paper
• Stapled paper
• File folders
• Drawing paper

• Envelopes
• Post-it notes
• Brochures
• Index cards
• Catalogs
• Newspapers
• Phonebooks
• Magazines
• Flattened cardboard
• Paperboard

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Dont Recycle

• Pizza Boxes
• Waxed Cardboard
• Pencil Shavings
• Rubber Bands
• Napkins

• Paper towels
• Hardbound Books
• Tissues
• Text Books
• Paper cups

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2003-04 CMS Facts

• 25th Largest School system in the US
• 113,859 Students
• 145 Total Schools

• 88 Elementary Schools
• 29 Middle Schools
• 17 High Schools
• 11 Special Programs

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Ordinance

• Mecklenburg County has a Recycling Ordinance that
  requires schools that generate 16 cubic yards
  (approximately two 8-yard dumpsters) of trash per
  week to keep cardboard and paper out of their
  trash dumpster.  A school can be fined if it is
  not in compliance with the Recycling Ordinance.

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• How To Get Started

• Mecklenburg County Recycling Department can
  provide CMS with
• Educational flyers
• Recycling signs posters
• Recycling containers
• Recommendations on placement of containers
• Mecklenburg County provides a hotline to report
  problems and a 24-hour cure for missed pickups.

Cost Of Containers Deskside 2.79 12 Gallon
3.56 16 Gallon 3.72 Rollout 34.00
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Educational Materials Available

• Custodian Fact Sheet
• Student Fact Sheet
• Recycling Team Fact Sheet
• Cafeteria Recycling Fact Sheet
• Middle School Activity Book
• High School Activity Book

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• Recycle Fundraiser Program

The fundraiser program is designed for an
organization to collect and recycle used empty
Inkjet and Laser printer cartridges from your
participants home or parents office computer.
Instead of discarding these plastic cartridges in
the trash, which eventually end up in our
landfills, we encourage the use of recycling them
for cash, payable to your organization. For more
information, please log on toSortRecycleSave.char
meck.org
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• Current Status of Recycling Program Implementation

• All schools have recycling system in place
• In 2002-03 school year, CMS recycled 1590 tons
• 2001-02, 1088 tons
• 2000-01, 992 tons
• 1999-2000, 585 tons

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Education Center

• Mecklenburg County has a state of the art
  education center. It is located at the Countys
  MRF.
• Approximately 10,000 people tour the MRF and
  visit the education center each year

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Budget for School Program

• FY 2001/02 Solid Waste
• Print 2000
• Promo 9000
• Containers 4500
• FY 2002/03 Solid Waste Budget
• Print 2000
• Promo 9000
• Containers 2400
• FY 2003/04 Solid Waste Budget
• Promo 11,000
• Containers 5400
• Temp 6000

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• CMS Success Stories

McKee Road Elementary has been recycling for four
years. A special programs teacher serves as the
Recycling Coordinator. To get the recycling
program started, the Recycling Coordinator placed
collection containers throughout the school,
enlisted collection support and promoted the
program by integrating it into existing
curriculums. Their approach has worked well for
the past four years and all areas of the school
participate.
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• CMS Success Stories

Irwin Avenue Open Elementary School has been
recycling for three years. A school club
collects the recyclables from the school except
the cafeteria, where cafeteria staff place
flattened cardboard in the recycling dumpster.
Recycling crew members are paid microbucks
which can be spent at the school store. Irwin
Avenue Elementary promotes recycling by
periodically making recycling announcements on
the public address system and placing notices in
the school newspaper.
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Additional Marketing Tools
Revised Logo The Wipe Out Waste Logo and Tagline
has been revised to the following. The graphic
illustrates the act of recycling and the
correlation with the environment. The new tagline
incorporates the formula of recycling
SortRecycleSave.charmeck.org
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• Public Outreach

• Internet
• Banner ads were used to drive the public to
  specific flash pages where they were able to
  choose the programs that were best suited for
  theyre needs.
• Web sites with the highest amount of impressions
  were chosen to display the Sort Recycle Save logo
  and banner ads.
• Internet Strengths
• High Monthly Impressions
• Ease of Changing Banner Ads and Program Messages
• Customized Flash Pages
• Use of animation within web pages

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• Public Outreach

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• Public Outreach

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• Public Outreach

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Additional Marketing Tools

• Mecklenburg Countys Commercial Recycling Program
  is in the process of developing a
  recycling/composting interactive, educational
  CD-Rom to be implemented in the Charlotte
  Mecklenburg Elementary School Curriculum
  effective spring 2004.

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Thank You

• Mecklenburg Countys Commercial Recycling Program
  
• Audrey Mershon
• 704.336.3777
• Mershal_at_co.mecklenburg.nc.us