The Harrington Green Team

The Harrington PTA Green Team is a group of parent volunteers leading our school and community toward a more sustainable future

Our robust lunchtime recycling and compost program drastically reduces the amount of waste sent to the landfill and incinerator

Read on to learn how you can get involved

* J O I N U S *

We need parent volunteers to oversee this valuable program. It’s easy, it’s fun, and it’s giving back—and you don’t have to be an expert! Read on to learn how it works.

SO WHAT HAPPENS AT LUNCH?

Sort your stuff: Before students get into the waste line, they organize their trays (or leftovers from home) into recycling, compost, and trash. Once in line, there are 3-D signs that show the objects that go into each bin (see photo above). Then they travel the waste line from #1 to #6:

1. Pour: Pour out liquids (significantly less weight in trash)

2. Rinse: Rinse eligible recyclables (hard plastics #1, 2, 5 ONLY) in soapy water so they’re clean enough to be recycled

3. Recycle (blue bin): Hard plastic recycling #1, 2, 5 ONLY; paper, cardboard; empty water bottles (best practice: caps on)

4. Trash (grey/black bin): Milk/juice cartons; school-supplied plastic knives; straws, single-use snack bags, foil-type juice pouches (Capri Sun); plastic bags

5. Compost (green bin): All foods; napkins, paper towels, straw wrappers; #7 + “PLA” compostable containers (currently only school-supplied spoons & forks, and yogurt parfait “bento box” and lid)

6. Trays: Stack trays “2 toward you”: stacked drastically reduces volume; they will go in the compost bin after the last lunch

Sign up for your shift here: http://tinyurl.com/y7c7p7vmz

Check out our weekly green tips here!