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Step 2 - Getting to Know Your Trash

To get started you need to determine the amounts and types of materials that are being generated.

How much trash does your school produce and what kind of recyclables are there?

Where does the material come from (cafeteria, classroom, offices)? Start by looking in the trash cans and dumpsters. This is called conducting a waste audit.

Go to the worksheet and conduct a waste audit for your school.

When your program is successfully diverting a significant volume of materials, look for possible cost savings in your school's waste disposal arrangements.

See if you can:

Reduce the size of the dumpster being used.

Reduce frequency of dumpster pickup.

Or, both.

In some cases illegal dumping in school dumpsters is a frequent problem. To keep out unwanted materials, lock dumpsters at night. This will hold down disposal costs and insure you have an accurate picture of the impact of your waste-reduction program. Also remember that burning trash is illegal.