What Are My Options for School Recycling Pickup?
This toolkit has all the recycling pickup options you need.
Ready to start collecting recyclables at your school and need a way to get them to a recycling center? Here’s an overview of some of your school recycling pickup options. Get all the details you need plus some helpful forms in the printable PDF below.
Find out if your school’s recycling can be collected by a hauler
Check your outdoor dumpster or trash collection bin for the name of your trash hauler. Your school administrator can contact them to find out if they offer school recycling pickup services.
Self-haul to a recycling drop off center
Locate nearby recycling centers by checking your city or county’s website, or do a web search. Then, enlist a team of volunteers and/or paid staff to take your items to your local recycling center.
Donate bottles and cans to non-profit organizations or bring to a redemption center
Sometimes salvage companies are willing to pay by the pound for recyclable materials. Additionally, in some states, aluminum cans and plastic bottles are sold with an advance deposit fee that can be redeemed for cash. Research non-profit organizations that are willing to recycle your school’s bottles and cans as an additional revenue source. Sometimes groups that provide work for people of differing abilities will provide school recycling pickup.
Bring recycling home
Sometimes a hauling service is just too costly or complex. In Recycle Rally schools across the country, staff and parents volunteer to bring their school’s recyclables home. Then, they recycle them through whatever means are available to them. This system isn’t likely to be a solution for an entire school, but it’s a place to start.
School recycling pickup is a key part of a recycling routine. Learn how to establish the rest of the routine and create a successful program here!
Recycling Service Toolkit
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Recycle Rally
Recycle Rally is a free K-12 program that provides rewards and tools to help enhance recycling at your school!
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