How to create an Innovative Recycling Project?

Question

Right now me and my friends are planning to put up a recycling program here in the dorm (im in the Philippines). The place is a perfect venue for us to start, since the target will be students who are great consumers of recyclable materials. However we have yet to come up with a plan that will entice the dormers to participate and own the project. We want them to sort the recycable materials themselves and be conscious of doing so. I want them to look at recycling in a very fresh way, since it is rather a common word/practice (though not fully successful)everyday.Please help me, what do you think should I do? What are your suggestions?

Answer 1

I think it's great that you are trying to create a recycling program. It might be difficult, but if you get enough people to support you then it will be a great program for your entire school.

Here's a page that gives you information on starting a recycling program:

http://www.greenstudentu.com/Programs.as...

Answer 2

Consider what systems are currently in place - If it's paper, bottles glass...who will collect the daily/weekly deposits? how frequently? will it become a storage problem? are there any financial incentives currently offered (like a few cents per aluminum can - which could go towards a donation to a local needy cause...or a slab of beer!)?  

Educate (a simple poster??) - Break it down to show how daily patterns can accumulate to a whole lot more over a period of time, multiplied by the number in the dorm,... multiplied by their lifetime.  Highlight the enviro' benefits of life cycle analysis for 1 waste stream.

Consider what the end use of the material collected might be.   Can you find a market? eg, does anyone locally buy/accept old mobile phones, computers....can old clothes be donated or sold as rags?

Might be pushing it but...organic matter (food scraps etc) could be collected for garden compost, worm farms or even a few chooks - their great therapy and they might even provide a few eggs in return (which could be sold...)

Keep it simple - people are generally lazy. New systems must be made simple so there's no (or very little) extra effort to do the new way.  

Good luck with your endeavours...

Answer 3

you could link with arty people who could make things out of the stuff you're recycling, eg into fashion accessories - if they are good enough, you could 'barter' them for so much recycled stuff

my partner makes things out of vinyl records (which are v difficult to recycle) -and i've seen people make things out of old computer motherboards which look really cool