Staff Meeting Notes
(Primary, Elementary and All Grade)
Use these notes to inform staff and teachers about the Recycle @ School pilot at
your school’s first administration meeting.
Speaking Notes
Our school is one of six schools in the province that has been selected to participate in an
exciting new recycling pilot, which will run for the duration of the 2014-15 school year. The
Recycle @ School Pilot Program is a partnership between the Newfoundland and Labrador
English School District (NLESD), the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) and Eastern
Waste Management (EWM).
This new pilot program is designed to explore the potential for schools throughout the province
to expand current recycling initiatives and divert additional waste from our landfills.
You may have already noticed the new four-stream recycling stations and signs throughout the
school – provided by MMSB as part of the pilot program. Our stations are located: [list the
locations of your bin systems].
In addition to the beverage containers we’ve previously been recycling, we can now recycle
paper and mixed containers. These new waste streams include the same materials you are
currently able to recycle at home through your community’s curbside recycling program.
Each classroom is also equipped with a small blue bin for mixed containers, a small grey paper
recycling bin and a Waste Sorting Guide that outlines what’s accepted and how to sort your
recyclables. Please review this guide and place it in your classroom where it is accessible to
students. When full, the small bins can be emptied into the recycling station nearest your
classroom.
These two new recycling streams will be collected bi-weekly beginning on September XX [your
first collection date is in your school plan].
Education will be a key component of this pilot program. MMSB has developed and provided
tools and resources to help make the Recycle @ School pilot program a success. We will be
setting up a time within the next two weeks for MMSB to come in and present to staff and train
our Recycle @ School Team, [may be an existing or new environment club or environmental
science class] who will assist with school-wide education through classroom presentations and
demonstrations.
Additional signs and resources such as desktop backgrounds can be downloaded directly from
the school section of MMSB’s website: mmsb.nl.ca. Please apply the provided desktop
background images for your classroom display boards and computers.
In early October, MMSB will conduct a waste audit to measure the amount of waste generated
and to help set goals for waste diversion in all six participating schools. MMSB will conduct
another waste audit at the end of the school year to measure the success of the program.
The goal of the recycling pilot is to expand recycling programs in schools throughout
Newfoundland and Labrador. While diverting waste from provincial landfills, we will also be
leading the way for Schools in our province, schools that will learn and grow from our
commitment to environmental stewardship.
If you have any questions our School project lead is: [appropriate school contact] who will be
working with MMSB to implement this pilot program.
Let’s work together to make this a great success.