School District: Northshore
School Location: Bothell
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: November 2010

Level One of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2011

Waste reduction and recycling

• Canyon Creek Elementary increased its recycling rate from 22 percent to 50 percent, a 127 percent increase.
• To achieve this improvement, the school improved classroom recycling and initiated lunch time can, bottle and milk carton recycling.
• School staff placed recycling stickers that list what can and can’t be recycled on classroom and lunchroom recycling containers.
• Sixth grade students designed a presentation about waste reduction and recycling and presented it to all classrooms in the school.
• Sixth grade students volunteered their recess time to monitor recycling containers in the lunchroom and to help other students understand what materials can be recycled.
• Sixth grade students also created posters and videos to encourage recycling and explain which materials can be recycled.
• Sixth grade students studied sustainability and ecological footprints. They took on and met the challenge of reducing their school’s ecological footprint through increased recycling and reducing waste.

Comments

"It’s been fantastic to see our sixth graders jump in and take ownership of the lunch recycling program. They help students sort materials, take recycling out to the large recycle bin, and even weigh the daily liquid waste to track the effectiveness of their waste reduction efforts."
– Chris Brush, sixth-grade teacher

For more information about the school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:

Chris Brush, teacher
cbrush@nsd.org

Pete Misner, principal
pmisner@nsd.org