External Recycling Container
In order to help schools recycle more effectively Falkirk Council has provided each school with an external steel container (either blue or brown) in which to store certain materials, such as paper, cardboard and cans, for recycling. This means that these materials are not taking up space inside the school.
Different bags, bins and boxes available to schools
Blue Bags for collecting paper in the classroom.
White sacks to store the paper in the external recycling container.
Compost bins for fruit and vegtable peel and garden waste.
Small brown bins for internal collection of compost waste.
How to recycle your...
Paper
Paper waste makes up a large proportion of the waste produced in schools. Just about everyone will produce paper waste so everyone can, and should, take part.
Blue bags to collect the paper in your classrooms and offices are available from the Council or from Action Recycle. Once these bags have been filled they should be taken out to your steel storage container and emptied into the larger sacks ready to be picked up by Action Recycle. The empty blue bags can then be reused in the classroom.
Different schools organise the collection of their paper in different ways. For example, you could:
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Have a committee of pupils who go round the classes once a week to collect the blue bags and then take them out to the container – usually accompanied by the Janitor.
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Have a set time during the week when each teacher sends a member of the class down to the container with the blue bag.
Why not try different methods to find out what works best for you.
Cardboard
Most of the cardboard packaging that comes into the school either goes to the kitchen or to the Janitor. Most kitchen staff and Janitors put their cardboard straight into the container, so the rest of the school may not be involved in this.
However, it can be interesting to see how much cardboard waste your school generates. Try going out to the container and having a look at how much cardboard there is – can you guess how many boxes?
Cans / foil
If your schools allows cans on the premises, then these can be quite easily recycled. The cans should be collected from around the tuck-shop and canteen in clear sacks. These are available from the either Falkirk Councils Waste Education Officer or Action Recycle. When the sacks are full they can be placed in the recycling container and will be uplifted by Action Recycle.
The reason for using clear sacks is so that it is easy to see what is in them. If there is any contamination e.g. waste food or leftover liquid the cans will not be uplifted.
You should put a sticker on each bag of cans with the name of your school and when Action Recycle take them back to the depot, they will weigh the bags and credit your school with the weight of aluminium. You will get approximately 35p per full bag of cans.
Kitchen foil, takeaway containers, baking trays etc. can also be recycled, if CLEAN. The foil can be put in the clear sacks and will be uplifted by Action Recycle. Whilst the majority of cans will be recycled back into cans, the aluminium foil will be separated out and then reprocessed into alternative products such as car engine components.
Important things to remember when using the container
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Keep the paper and cardboard separate! This means even thin card like manilla folders should not be put in with the paper. Any metal and plastic binders should be removed.
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Try not to over fill the paper sacks. If they are too heavy to be lifted by one person, then the men from Action Recycle will not be able to empty them.
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Please don't place general waste or litter into the container as this will cause contamination and smell!
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It is best if you don't try to put the cardboard in bags as it is difficult to empty. Just flatten the cardboard and stack it neatly at one side of the container.
Printer and toner cartridges, and mobile phones
There are several options to consider for recycling your used printer and toner cartridges and mobile phones.
‘Recycool’ is a recycling initiative aimed specifically at schools. By collecting empty toner and printer cartridges, and unwanted mobile phones with the batteries, schools can earn ‘Recycool’ points which can be exchanged for classroom equipment, sports accessories, library items or cash.
Printer and toner cartridges collected from school through ‘Recycool’ are sold to remanufactures in the UK who refill them for resale.
Phones collected by schools participating in ‘Recycool’ will help developing countries, many of which do not have a comprehensive landline infrastructure. Anything unsuitable for recycling will be disposed of safely minimising environmental impact
On signing up to ‘Recycool’ all schools will receive a free welcome pack containing practical ideas designed to help them gain maximum benefit from their participation. Specialised boxes are provided free of charge for collecting cartridges and mobile phones. These are uplifted by Eurosource free of charge once they are full.
Alternatively, cartridges can be sent in internal mail (in the replacement cartridges' box) to the ICT section of the Council. Mark the cartridges "To ICT for recycling". Each cartridge recycled provides a small amount of money which is donated to Strathcarron Hospice. All cartridges can be recycled including laser jet, inkjet, fax, and photocopier toner cartridges.
Visit the Recycool website |for more information
Organic waste
You can help to reduce the organic waste from your school that has to be disposed of in landfill sites by composting. The compost you produce could be used in a wildlife garden or elsewhere in the school grounds.
Any Falkirk Council school that is interested in obtaining a compost bin can receive one free of charge. The cost will be met by Development Services. Simply contact either Falkirk Council’s Waste Education Officer or Action Recycle and place a request. Either the Waste Education Officer or someone from Action Recycle may also be able to visit your school and offer guidance on composting.