Current Advocacy

Improving Waste Management in Schools

In June, we submitted a petition with almost 300 signatures to the Albemarle County and Charlottesville City Public Schools asking for universal improvements to school recycling and composting systems. Due to inconsistent recycling and composting practices in the schools, as well as the fact that student-led environmental clubs currently manage recycling and composting systems instead of custodial staff, we asked for the School Boards to:

• Adopt a paper-and-metal only approach to recycling in all schools

• Ensure that every classroom has an easily identifiable recycling bin that clearly states what can be recycled

• Introduce composting to schools during lunch periods and with paper towel composting in bathrooms

• Facilitate a transition towards staff managing recycling and composting systems instead of students

• Increase education efforts around recycling and composting for students and staff

• Clearly communicate changes to recycling and composting systems to all community members

We've already started working with Albemarle to implement these suggestions, and are hoping to start working with Charlottesville soon. Stay involved by emailing the School Boards in support of the petition to keep it on their radar! Email addresses can be found here for the Albemarle School Board, and here for the Charlottesville School Board.