There are so many things Australian schools can easily recycle, and starting a recycling program is a great way to get local community members such as students, parents and teachers involved. Take a look at our school recycling guide and see all the things that can be recycled to help make a difference.
Recycle The Regular Things
Schools can recycle the common things that we are used to recycling at home. Paper and cardboard, plastic and glass bottles, aluminium cans and other drink containers.
Modern paper recycling mills can cope with things like packing tape on cartons and staples in books, but keep vinyl covers and art projects with glitter, metallic stickers and other non-paper components out of the paper recycling bin. Food-contaminated cardboard such as a greasy pizza boxes are also a no-no.
Recycle Lighting Waste
Fluorescent lighting is common in schools. It’s cost-effective, but fluorescent lamps and tubes contain mercury, an extremely toxic and persistent metal. Intact tubes are perfectly safe, but most lighting waste still ends up in landfill. Tubes and lamps often break, and the mercury they contain ends up contaminating the environment.
Fluorescent lamp recycling is both readily available and highly convenient. It safely captures the mercury for reuse, and glass, metal and other components are also recycled. Lighting maintenance is often managed by electrical contractors, and schools should ensure that their contractors recycle fluorescent tubes and lamps rather than dumping them.
Recycle Batteries
Batteries power an increasing range of electrical items, and Australia has a poor record when it comes to battery recycling.
Ecocycle makes it really easy for schools to recycle batteries. Simply order one or more of our battery collection buckets into which staff and students can deposit their dead batteries. We take care of delivery, collection and recycling. Encouraging your school community to bring batteries from home will result in an even bigger environmental benefit.
Recycle Electronic Waste
Computers, TVs, printers and other peripherals are fixtures in every classroom, and electronic waste disposal is a growing problem everywhere. Many suppliers will include recycling as part of equipment purchase agreements, but if you don’t already have an e-waste recycling solution in place, we can help. We can even design a program that combines lighting, battery and electronics recycling into one convenient package.
Organic Waste And Plastic Bags
School gardens are a great way for children to learn about growing their own food, and worm farms and composting are ideal ways of recycling organic waste into natural fertiliser. What could be better than turning a waste problem into tasty treats for the table?
Plastic bags: love the convenience, hate the waste problem. Now plastic bags (and bread bags, pasta packaging and plastic newspaper wrapping) can be recycled through the Redcycle bins in Coles and Woolworths supermarkets. Even better, they get turned into outdoor furniture for primary and pre-schools.
Toothpaste Tubes And Coffee Capsules
Like to earn some cash for your school by recycling some unusual items? Terracycle Australia has programs covering toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes, Nespresso coffee capsules, cleaning product packaging and more. The collected waste is either up-cycled into new products like shopping bags and pencil cases, or recycled. Even better, schools can be paid for each item collected. Check out the Terracycle Australia website to see how your school can get involved.
Talk To Us
Ecocycle is an expert recycling lighting, electronic waste and battery recycling company. We are driven by a desire for a cleaner, safer world for our children and their children. We can’t do it alone, however. We need the assistance of everyone who makes a conscious decision about how a particular item of waste will be treated. Will it be tossed in the bin, or responsibly recycled? We make these choices everyday, and set examples for our children.
Doing the right thing doesn’t need to be difficult. In fact, we make it incredibly easy. We can design recycling solutions just for your school, so call us on 1300 32 62 92 or fill out the form below to discuss your options with one of our recycling specialists.
