While the rest of St. Cloud District 742 has just started their new “toward zero waste” compost and recycling program this year, Clearview Elementary has been a step ahead. They’ve had the program in place in their lunchroom for the past three to four years.
“El Haus, who worked for the district in health and safety, approached us and asked if we’d be interested in the program,” said Clearview Principal Sheri Rutar. “We started it.”
The school cafeteria’s recycling table has three receptacles. Above each is a sign that shows what items go into each receptacle; there’s a recycling bin for plastic bottles and aluminum cans, food waste and napkins go in the compost bin, and things such as chip and snack bags and plastic silverware are put in the garbage bin.
There’s also a bucket at the end of the table for students to pour their unwanted milk into.
“It works really well,”said Rutar. “Don Updike (Clearview’s head engineer) does a great job working with the kids to help them know which receptacle they should be using.”
Clearview is also a step ahead of the rest of District 742’s goal of creating “share tables” after their lunch room receptacles are completed. Clearview implemented their own share table at the start of the school year in September.
So far the share table is only used for grades 3, 4 and 5. If it continues to be successful it will be made available to the younger grades, too.
“Only items that have to be opened, like milk cartons and little bags of carrots, can be put on the shared table,” said Rutar. “At first we had students raise their hands if they wanted to put an item on the table or take an item off of it to avoid races to get there. Now the students just walk up to it when they want.”
Garbage from the district already goes to a burning facility. Once the program is in full swing the compost will go to Tri-County Organics in St. Cloud.
The goal of the program is multi-purpose; save the district money, be more environmentally conscious, and be a role model to the students by doing the right thing.
