Persuading my principal to start recycling?

Question

ok... i go to a new school with over 1000 kids, they can be influenced and/or forced by teachers to do anything so theres no problem asking them to recycle the literal ton of papers they had throw away! But how can i persaude my principal to start a recycling program?

Answer 1

I am in a much smaller school and am attempting the same  thing.

1) Find out how to have the paper collected, picked up, made into notepads, and/or recycled.

2)Advertise what YOUR school is doing!

3) Recycle aluminum cans for victims of severe burns through your local Fire Department OR take them to an aluminum recycling center & collect money for your school.  (An incentive drive / competition among grade levels will bring in floods of cans.  Be sure you have a place to store them until recycling).

4) Contact an environmental agency that will promote your idea.

5) Let your principal know what you plan, explain benefits to the students and the school, and make sure he or she will get credit.

Go for it!  I will, also.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

To convince your principal - you need to come up with a plan where he doesn't have to do much work but say OK.

Contact recyclers to see if a company would be able to pick up the paper on a set basis for free.  Also see if they will supply the recycling containers for free.  (If you can't get a recycler to pick it up for free, could your parents or some other adult [science teacher, maybe], agree to help you drive the paper to a recycler on a set schedule.  Also, you could have a fundraiser to raise funds to buy the recycling bins.)  Try to talk to the janitorial staff to see if they will agree to dumping the paper recycling bins into a separate collection bin on a set basis.  After you get those details worked out, present it to the principal telling him the environmentally sound aspect as well as the fact that you worked out the details.  Just having a petition for something isn't good enough.  Principals have a lot to do.  If you can make this transparent for him, where he doesn't have to do any work but will look good for having recycling in his school, it's a no-brainer decision for him.

Answer 3

you can't do it by yourself. have some friends sign a petition and give it to them

Answer 4

I'd start with all types of drink containers, in Michigan only carbonated have a deposit on them, start with the ones going in the trash.  These are easily recycled to make many things, like the eco-friendly deck boards for porches.

Answer 5

Easy. Make it educational. In our quest to "Go Green", there are many environmental organizations that have educational resources, allowing students to not only learn, but partisipate in helping make our world a better, cleaner place to live.  

Check in your area for local recyclers, and solid waste disposal providers ( ie: your trash company)

Often times, local city government will also have information on recycling programs in your area.

Good Luck and Happy Recycling!!