pollution issue in the environment and to establish a school- wide commitment to reduce and eventually eliminate the plastic waste generated by schools.


Step 1: Collect baseline data in order to analyze current schoolwide use and attitudes towards plastic waste. This step should be student-led, integrated into the curriculum of specific courses or student clubs, such as the Green Team or Associated Student Body (ASB). Depending on the size of the school, collecting all the plastic waste found in trash and recycling bins could be quite daunting. Start by having stu- dents create a map of the locations of all trash and recycling bins in common areas, such as hallways, lunch rooms, and outdoor spaces around the school. Avoid focusing on class- rooms and bathrooms as these locations would not produce representative data of the entire school community. With students, collectively assign a number to each trash and recycling bin on the maps. Randomly select five trash and five recycling bins for data collection. Using gloves, collect the trash bags and bins after lunch or at the end of the school day when they are most full. Using a tarp and continuing to use gloves, pour the contents of each trash or recycling bin onto the tarp and sort all plastics into a separate pile. Repeat for each recycling and trash bin until all plastics are separated. Using a data sheet in Google or Excel, record the types of plastics, such as plastic utensils and straws, water bottles, and food wrappers, and how many of each type of plastic. Repeat the collection methods at least two more times on different days of the week and over a multiple-week time span for a greater sample size and to allow for varia- tion. Analyzing the data to determine the most used plastics at school does not necessarily need to be done by a single class or science classes only. For example, math teachers can use and analyze the data with their classes to teach students about graphs and statistics. Next, survey students, teachers, and staff to learn which


plastics from the data collection are being brought to school and compare this to the plastics being provided by the school, vending machines, and cafeteria. Create an online


survey with questions that may include the following: Do you eat a school lunch or bring lunch from home? What do you place your lunch food in when you bring it to school/ work? or What are your thoughts on plastics in the envi- ronment? This data will also be useful in informing and developing the sustainability curriculum with teachers and informing the rest of the school and community of the large amounts of plastic waste generated every day.


Step 2: Create a partnership with a non-profit organization. It is essential to find one or more non-profit organizations with the same goals and expertise in waste reduction and management to support the program and curriculum devel- opment. I have found that non-profits are willing and eager to collaborate with schools to develop curriculum. Research local zoos, aquariums, and environmental organizations and read the section on their webpage dedicated to educa- tion. Email or call the organization’s education director and discuss the mission of your initiative and the resources or support your school may need to start a plastic-free initia- tive. Be sure to contact more than one organization to find out which is the most willing and best fit for your school. If funding is needed for time and resources, grants are avail- able from organizations, such as Stop Waste, or some states in the US may offer funding to schools as well. This is also an important time to discuss project goals


and funding with the principal. Plan to meet with the princi- pal in person and offer this five-step action plan, as modified for your specific school site, and develop a list of possible funding needed for the initiative. Funding will depend on the individual goals of the school site, for example, switch- ing from single-use plastic food utensils to bamboo. Treat this action plan as a proposal, and let the principal know that the goals and funding may slightly change as the initiative develops with student and community input. The principal needs to approve the partnership and project before proceed- ing, and using the data from Step 1 will help convince the principal of the need for the initiative.


Green Teacher 126 Page 11


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