LOUDOUN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

RECYCLING PROGRAM

BACKGROUND

Recycling of commonly used materials is a procedure adopted to help preserve our natural resources, save energy, and reduce waste in our landfills.  Because Loudoun County disposes of waste in a local landfill any program to reduce the amount of material dumped in the landfill is important.  Loudoun County Public Schools has been operating a recycling program since 1991.

Loudoun County Public Schools currently recycles the following commodities at all of our facilities: white paper, colored paper, newspaper, cardboard, paper board, aluminum and bi-metal cans, plastic bottles, and fluorescent light tubes. The Facilities Services Department and the Transportation Department also recycle used motor oil and antifreeze.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Director of Facilities Services- Program Manager for the Recycling Program.  Responsible for establishing procedures, providing training and consultation for establishing or improving school recycling activities, developing recycling partnerships with private recycling companies, providing containers for collecting recyclable materials at schools and administrative facilities, managing the collection of recycling commodities from schools and administrative facilities, and budgeting for annual recycling costs.

Principals and Building Administrators– Responsible for implementing recycling program at their school or facility.  Responsible for insuring that recyclable commodities are collected in accordance with established procedures and are maintained in an uncontaminated state.  Coordinates training of students and staff with the program manager.

RECYCLING AGENT

COLLECTION CONTAINERS

The Facilities Services Department provides several different styles of containers for collecting recyclable material. They are designated indoor and exterior containers.

Indoor Containers– Every school is provided a large blue recycling container for every classroom and office space for collecting white paper, colored paper, and newspaper and a small blue container for collecting aluminum cans and plastic bottles.  In addition, special recycling containers are provided for collecting aluminum cans and plastic bottles in school hallways, cafeterias and work rooms.  Blue 44 gallon recycling containers will be provided for the kitchens to recycle plastic bottles and bi-metal cans.  Blue 44 gallon recycling containers will also be provided for use at athletic competition fields for recycling aluminum cans and plastic bottles.  Each school will be provided one blue 44 gallon container on wheels for collecting recyclable materials within the school.

Exterior Containers – Exterior containers are primarily 4, 6 or 8 cubic yard dumpsters for consolidating recyclable material at a school.  The dumpsters are clearly labeled “Aluminum, Plastic, and Bi-metal Cans” or “Cardboard and Paper” to designate the commodity to be deposited.  There are two styles of recycling containers.  The cardboard and paper dumpster is an 8 cubic yard dumpster that has a large horizontal slit for inserting cardboard boxes and side sliding doors for depositing various types of paper.  The aluminum can, plastic bottle, and bi-metal can dumpster is a 4 or 6 cubic yard dumpster.  The larger dumpsters are used at high and middle schools and the smaller dumpsters are used at elementary schools. Each school will have one Aluminum, Plastic, and Bi-metal Can dumpster and one Cardboard and Paper dumpster.  Schools which have a high volume of recycled material will be provided with additional recycling dumpsters as necessary.

RECYCLABLE MATERIALS

White Paper                                                         Colored Paper

Newspaper                                                          Cardboard

Paper Board                                                         Aluminum Cans

Plastic Bottles (#1 and #2 only)                             Bi-metal cans

PROCEDURES

The following procedures will be followed to ensure the orderly collection and disposal of recyclable material and to maximize the amount of material recycled.

WHITE PAPER, COLORED PAPER, NEWSPAPER CARDBOARD, AND PAPERBOARD

White paper, colored paper, and newspaper will be collected in individual school classrooms and offices.  A designated recycling container will be placed in each classroom and office for students and staff to deposit all paper to be recycled.  The custodians, other school staff, or students designated by the Principal will collect paper from the classrooms and offices and deposit it into the dumpster labeled for cardboard and paper.

Cardboard boxes will be broken down so that they are flat and deposited in designated locations in the school by staff.  The custodians or other school staff designated by the Principal will collect the flattened cardboard boxes and deposit them in the dumpster labeled for cardboard and paper.  It is essential that boxes be flattened before placing them in the dumpster.

White paper, colored paper, newspaper, cardboard, and paperboard will be consolidated in a single dumpster at each school.

The LCPS Facilities Services Department will empty the paper and cardboard dumpster weekly.  If the cardboard dumpster becomes full between pick ups, the school should notify the Facilities Services Department at 571-252-2960 and a special, off-cycle pick up, will be arranged.  The Facilities Services Department will transport the recyclables to the recycling agent’s facility.

Each school must be diligent to prevent contamination of the paper and cardboard dumpster with trash of any kind.  Only paper and cardboard should be placed in the cardboard dumpster.  Trash or other recyclable materials should not be placed in the paper and cardboard dumpster.  The recycling agent will not accept recyclable material that is contaminated with garbage.

ALUMINUM AND BI-METAL CANS AND PLASTIC BOTTLES.

Aluminum cans, bi-metal cans from food services, and Type 1 and 2 plastic containers (water bottles and food containers) will be recycled.  Each classroom and workroom will have containers for collecting aluminum cans and plastic water bottles.  High and middle schools will have one container for collecting aluminum cans and/plastic bottles in the cafeteria.  The custodians, other school staff, or students designated by the Principal will empty the recycling containers and deposit the recyclables into the aluminum, bi-metal and plastic dumpster.  These containers should be dumped and cleaned frequently to prevent build-up of sugary fluids that attract pests.  Do not put plastic liners in collection containers

One large recycling container will be placed in the kitchen of all schools for collecting recyclable plastic and bi-metal food containers.  The containers will be washed or rinsed clean and flattened before being deposited in to the recycling container.  The recycling container will be emptied into the designated dumpster by the kitchen staff.

The LCPS Facilities Services Department will empty the aluminum, bi-metal, and plastic dumpster at high schools monthly and at middle and elementary schools every two months.  If the aluminum, bi-metal, and plastic dumpster becomes full between pick ups the school should notify the Facilities Services Department at 703-771-6462 and a special, off-cycle pick up, will be arranged.  The Facilities Services Department will transport the recyclables to the recycling agent’s facility.

Because they have no locking mechanism on the aluminum, bi-metal, and plastic recycling dumpsters, each school must be diligent in preventing the dumpster from being contaminated by trash, cardboard or any other foreign material.  If recyclables are collected in plastic bags, they should be emptied from the plastic bags when they are deposited into the recycling container.  There should be no plastic bags in the recycling dumpster.  The recycling agent will not accept contaminated loads.

FLUORESCENT LIGHT TUBES

Loudoun County Public Schools recycles fluorescent tubes through the Waste Management Lamp Tracker Program.  Fluorescent tubes will be collected at each school as they are removed from the light fixtures. The tubes will be stored in special cardboard recycling boxes provided by the Facilities Services.   Each facility will be provided two Lamp Tracker recycling containers.  The facility is responsible for assembling the container per the instructions printed on each container.  Each container will hold 146 T-8 fluorescent tubes and 98 T-12 fluorescent tubes.  For facilities that use both T-8 and T-12 tubes they can be commingled in a single container for recycling.

The facility should mark, in the space provided on the box, the date when accumulation of fluorescent tubes in that box started and the date when the box was full.  The total number of tubes contained in the box should also be marked in the designated preprinted space.  When the container is full it should be closed following the preprinted instructions, the return address portion of the shipping label should be completed, and UPS should be called for a pick up.  The facility will provide the Container Number and the number of fluorescent tubes in the container to Susan Lynn, Facilities Services Secretary, by e-mail, and a replacement container will be sent via the pony.  Schools should not have more than one open box of fluorescent tubes for recycling at any time.

Facilities Services will maintain the records of container numbers that have been shipped for recycling and copies of the recycling certificates that are provided by Waste Management.

IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS