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Get the whole school involved

Everyone can contribute to make recycling a success at your school.

Try to involve as many people as possible

Involving pupils and staff across your school in setting up and running your recycling scheme is essential to ensure the scheme works successfully. If the school community has ownership of various tasks and responsibilities, participation is likely to be higher and contamination (throwing unsuitable materials into recycling bins) is likely to be lower. Whole school involvement also ensures recycling continues even if enthusiastic staff and pupils move on.

A table detailing the different roles and responsibilities for recycling at school
Possible rolePossible tasksTime frameWorking with

Pupils

Recycle as much of their waste as possible in the appropriate recycling bins

  • Involvement in setting up and running the recycling scheme
  • Follow instructions on what to recycle and where to recycle it
Day-to-day
  • Class representatives
  • Teachers
  • Designated teacher

Recycling monitors

Carry out recycling duties

  • Empty bins at regular intervals
  • Monitor the scheme and report back to designated teacher (eg how full are the bins, contamination)
  • Champion the scheme to classmates
Day-to-day, weekly, monthly
  • Designated teacher
  • Site manager/caretaker
  • All other pupils

School Council, Eco Committee or Environment Team

Represent their class and feed back to the rest of the school

  • Develop ideas and take on responsibilities for ongoing scheme
  • Carry out a waste audit and action plan
  • Prepare assemblies, newsletters and website updates to feed back to rest of school
  • Label recycling bins and put up posters
Regular meetings
  • Designated teacher
  • Class teacher
  • All other pupils

Designated teacher or recycling coordinator

Co-ordinate the recycling scheme

  • Take responsibility for waste audits and developing action plans.
  • Provide training for other school staff
  • Raise awareness
  • Regular meetings with school council/eco committee
  • Keep head teacher and school management informed
Day-to-day
  • Head teacher
  • School management
  • School council/eco committee or environment team
  • Site manager/caretaker
  • Pupils

Teachers and teaching assistants

Support the recycling scheme

  • Use and support the scheme
  • Help pupils to recycle correctly
  • Feed back to the designated teacher
Day-to-day
  • Own class
  • Designated teacher

Senior management team

Prioritise recycling in the school

  • Monitor progress with designated teacher and report back to head teacher
  • Lead by example

Regular updates to head teacher, governors and parents

  • Head teacher
  • Designated teacher
  • Teaching staff

Head teacher

Focus on core value of recycling within the school

  • Ensure the whole school is involved
  • Ensure the development of a school policy
Need to be constantly aware of developments in the school
  • School management
  • Teaching staff
  • Non-teaching staff
  • Pupils

Cleaning staff

Support and facilitate the recycling scheme and action plan

  • Ensure all recyclable materials are collected and emptied into the correct centralised/external facilities
  • Inform site manager/caretaker about contamination issues and where external bins are full
Day-to-day
  • Site manager/caretaker
  • Pupils

Kitchen and catering staff

Maintain recycling in their area of work - kitchen, canteen, hall

  • Ensure packaging is recycled and bins are emptied regularly and don't overflow
Day-to-day
  • Site manager/caretaker
  • Pupils

Site manager/caretaker

Oversee the internal and external bin and collection system

  • Liaise with the cleaners and designated teacher to help with the day-to-day running of the scheme
  • Ensure the recycling monitors or cleaners collect and empty the bins into the central/external bins on a regular basis
  • Liaise with the local authority or service provider regarding the external collections
Day-to-day
  • Head teacher
  • Designated teacher
  • Recycling monitors
  • Cleaners
  • Bursar
  • Local authority or service provider

Office/administration staff

Reduce waste in their area of work.

  • Only print documents if absolutely necessary.
  • Print double sided.
  • Recycle used paper.
Day-to-day
  • Head teacher
  • Designated teacher
  • Site manager/caretaker

Bursar

Investigate cost-effective recycling solutions, equipment and products.

  • Liaise with the designated teacher and site manager/ caretaker on implementation and cost issues of the recycling scheme.
  • Look into purchasing recycled products.
  • During the set-up process and regular reviews thereafter.

During the set-up process and regular reviews thereafter
  • Head teacher
  • Designated teacher
  • Site manager/caretaker

School governors

Support the head teacher, other teachers and pupils.

  • Take interest in plans and achievements.
  • Ensure head teacher demonstrates progress or maintenance of high recycling performance in the school.

Governor meetings
  • Head teacher
  • Teacher on governing body

Parents

Support the recycling scheme and help pupils recycle correctly.

  • Possibly help generate funding for specific recycling related activities.
  • Support additional activities e.g. run information stalls at parent evenings or after school.

Whenever possible
  • Whole school

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Recycling knowledge

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      • Join The Action Pack!
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The Waste and Resources Action Programme (which operates as WRAP) is a registered UK Charity No. 1159512 and registered as a Company limited by guarantee in England & Wales No. 4125764.

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