January 6th, 2010
@ kadraoui
ACTION PLAN
Learning Objectives
- Interpret data from the waste audit.
- Evaluate needs arising from the audit data.
- Provide realistic solutions to these needs.
- Co-operate effectively as a group.
Curriculum Links
- English
- Science
- Geography
- Citizenship
A. Preparation
- Before this activity, you should carry out a waste audit (see ‘Waste audit’ activity).
- If you are about to set up a new recycling scheme, assess the data from your waste audit and contact your local authority to discuss recycling collections for your school (see ‘Organising your school’s recycling to be collected’ in this Action Pack). Liaise with your bursar, site manager/caretaker and the school management to find out about existing rubbish collections, costs and frequency.
B. Action plan
1. Waste audit review
- As a class, discuss the environmental benefits of recycling outlined in this Action Pack, see the section on ‘Environmental Benefits’.
- Present the data collated from the waste audit and, as a class, identify the waste ‘hot spots’, and most common types of waste found at the school. Discuss why certain locations and materials present greater problems than others and agree likely explanations.
2. Group brainstorming
- With these explanations agreed, break the class up into smaller groups and come up with solutions to the school’s waste issues. Groups can be assigned specific hot spots or materials to address. Alternatively all groups can be assigned the same prominent waste issues to achieve a greater variety of interesting solutions.
- Student groups can use the template overleaf to draw up their suggestions.
- As a class, discuss and agree which proposed solutions will be most effective.
- Collate these agreed solutions into a final action plan, using the template provided overleaf.
- Assign tasks to appropriate individuals within the class and across the school, and agree realistic timeframes in which tasks should be completed.
3. Execute your tasks
Assign some class time for your students to carry out the activities they have assigned themselves and to notify other staff and students of the responsibilities assigned to them. The tasks will depend on whether you already recycle at school or are about to set up a new recycling scheme.
Some examples of action plan tasks are listed below:
- Provide training to staff and pupils on what materials can be recycled at your school and where. For example you can involve students in preparing a training session for their classmates where they will discuss issues such as contamination (throwing the wrong material into the wrong bin) and explain the benefits of recycling.
- Distribute recycling containers and clearly label them. Students can download, print and attach the easily recognisable labels (available at http://www.recycling-for-charity.com) to the recycling containers.
- Clearly mark recycling areas, for example by putting up awareness posters (also available athttp://www.recycling-for-charity.com), so everyone knows where the containers are and what should go in them.
- Let everyone know about the new recycling scheme and prepare an assembly or newsletter to introduce the system.
C. The follow up
- Set a review date when you will revisit your action plan as a group to see how far you have come and identify what else you can do.
- Schedule a follow up waste audit after a few months to measure the effectiveness of your scheme.
Extension ideas
- Add a section on recycling to your school’s website. This could include details of key people involved and a regular recycling newsletter.
- Develop recycling training sessions for the classroom.
- Regularly prepare an assembly to share recycling results, achievements and development plans for the future.
- Prepare a school notice board showing graphs of results and recycling achievements.
- Involve the local press and radio to let everyone know about the school’s scheme.
- Team up with another school in the area to share ideas via the internet.
- Pupils can develop a database with the help of spreadsheet software packages and record recycling information, draw graphs and analyse the data.
Top tip
It may be helpful to contact your local authority before undertaking this activity with your pupils to see what actions would be feasible in your area and manage pupils’ expectations.
EXAMPLE: ACTION PLAN
| Issue |
Action |
Responsibility |
Timeframe |
| Large quantities of paper in ICT room |
Put up posters reminding students and staff to print only when absolutely necessary and print double sided |
Eco group |
October |
| Recyclable items in general rubbish bin |
Label recycling containers |
Eco group |
Start of October |
|
Arrange (additional) recycling containers. |
Site manager/caretaker |
End of October |
| Wrong materials in recycling bin |
Organise a training event or assembly |
Recycling Co-ordinator |
End of October |
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Tags: Recycle @ Work, Work Plan
