Falkirk Council

 

Falkirk Council Schools have been recycling since 2004 when a recycling infrastructure for schools was introduced across the Forth Valley. Over the years the number of materials which can be recycled has increased and now schools can recycle exactly the same materials as householders in their blue bins i.e. paper, cardboard, mixed plastics, cans and tetrapaks. They get a weekly or fortnightly uplift by ACE (Alloa Community Enterprises) who take the materials to Oran in Grangemouth for sorting and transfer to the relevant recycling facility.

Falkirk Council Schools have been recycling since 2004 when a recycling infrastructure for schools was introduced across the Forth Valley. Over the years the number of materials which can be recycled has increased and now schools can recycle exactly the same materials as householders in their blue bins i.e. paper, cardboard, mixed plastics, cans and tetrapaks. They get a weekly or fortnightly uplift by ACE (Alloa Community Enterprises) who take the materials to Oran in Grangemouth for sorting and transfer to the relevant recycling facility.

Recycling requires commitment from everyone in the school including teachers, cleaners, janitors and kitchen staff but in many of our schools pupils have a leading role. For instance they organise rotas for collecting paper from classrooms and take it to the recycling containers or bins outside. Some schools that are involved in the Eco Schools programme are taking the waste minimisation topic even further and along with weighing or measuring the amount of waste recycled they are trying to find other ways that they can 'Reduce, Reuse and Recycle'. 

 

 

In addition to 'blue bin' materials the majority of schools take part in other schemes such as printer cartridge recycling; mobile phone and textile recycling, both of which can raise money for the school or designated charities. Other occasional recycling schemes include Christmas cards, stamps and jewellery.

 

The majority of Falkirk schools have composting facilities and use these to compost fruit and vegetable waste, paper and cardboard. They can use the compost produced in their gardens and containers and prevent a lot of smelly, heavy and biodegradable waste going to landfill. A small number of schools have wormeries or green cone digesters for the disposal of food waste although this is more of an educational tool than a way of disposing of substantial quantities of food waste.

Falkirk Council was one of the first Local Authorities to appoint a Waste Education Officer who can offer help and guidance on waste minimisation in schools. The Waste Education Officer also offers classroom sessions from nursery to secondary stages, fun and craft activities for school 'eco days' and visits to local recycling facilities. The Waste Education Officer can also provide input for community groups such as cubs and guides.