|
|
Contracting and rewarding schools for reducing waste production: “less waste at school”
In the city of Hasselt, a large campaign for waste prevention at school has been carried out over 1998-1999 and 1999-2000. The objectives were threefold:
- raise awareness of children, their parents and their teachers,
- induce behaviour change
- reduce the amount of waste to be handled by the municipal services.
Background
Hasselt is situated in the Flemish region in Belgium and has about 68,000 inhabitants and 59 schools.
The campaign was based on voluntary environmental agreements between the city government and schools. By concluding this agreement, schools committed to reduce their waste production. They could choose between 3 types of contracts: small, medium or large. Large contract involves the most important efforts and requires more support than the other ones.
They were offered the choice between a wide range of supporting measures, such as composting containers and wormeries, drinking fountains, educational games about environment and waste, durable drink cups, composting experts lecturing in schools …
The municipal council committed to offer logistic support and a financial incentive. To further ensure support and cooperation from schools the initial campaign plan developed by the environmental service was discussed with the school boards and adapted following their remarks. A logo and a poster were created to make the project visually attractive and recognisable.
The budget to carry out the activities agreed upon in school contracts represented about
55,000 € per school year.
Progress
The campaign targeted the 59 local schools, gathering 18,050 pupils. Each school has been contacted individually and received an extensive information package. The environmental department guided the schools at the beginning of the project. A first evaluation, in January, assessed to which extent the schools were complying with their agreements. This evaluation allowed to discuss their difficulties and to suggest solutions. At the end of the school year, a final evaluation was carried out through personal visits and “solid evidence” given by schools. A report published was for each school. The bench of aldermen decided, on the basis of these reports, whether the schools had complied with their environmental agreement or not.
Results were presented to the public in a closing ceremony. The schools were given the opportunity to present their results and explain their experiences. The mayor rewarded each of the successful schools with a financial price, according to their contract.
Activities and behaviour change achieved
Most schools used paper sparingly for financial and educational reasons. Before the project, teachers and administration regulated the use of paper. Pupils are now involved, since each classroom has now a container for paper waste, and they have realised that they should use both side of a sheet.
20 schools have introduced the use of recycled paper, and 11 only use such paper.
The introduction of re-usable cups faced difficulties. Financial reasons and doubts about the environmental benefit were the main obstacles. Eventually, participants acknowledged that large-size packaging is cheaper than individual one and that returnable bottles and drinks produce less waste in the long run.
Lunch boxes
Secondary school students were the more reluctant to use lunch boxes, yet constant efforts of teachers and students’ committees succeeded in convincing pupils.
They contribute to avoid disposable packaging. The city council and the water company subsidised the investment. Children really found them cool and used them a lot.
The project raised awareness on the important contribution that composting containers, wormeries and chicken have for reducing organic waste. The support of composting experts was crucial in the success of this measure.
- Organisation of environmentally-friendly events
Many schools adopted crockery instead of disposable cutlery and cup, despite the increased amount of work that it implied. Efforts for waste reduction were also maintained during school trips.
Waste reduction measures were included in the school regulations. The support of the city council to the project facilitated this inclusion. Parents have to sign the regulations: further to being informed, they express their agreement to the waste prevention approach.
- Waste saving recommendations for pupils and their parents
Many schools introduced an environmental column in their school paper, to inform parents and pupils about the environmental efforts carried out in the school, and about the regulations adopted. Most parents appreciated that the schools pay attention to environmental issues.
Results
In the first year (1999-2000), 31 schools out of 59 participated. In total, the city awarded 28 schools, for a total amount of 20,000 €. 3 schools gave up in the course of the project. 3 schools which signed the medium-contract and 1 school which signed the large contract didn’t meet the conditions and only succeeded in the small contract.
The campaign reached 9,586 children. Their parents, grand-parents and day-care mothers also received the message through the school regulations, the logo, the posters and several environmental activities.
The schools didn’t have to measure their waste reduction, to reduce their work load. However, they testified that that they achieve 50 % waste reduction on the basis of the number of containers and waste bags produced.
Evaluation
Schools appreciated the educational value of activities. The financial and personal support are good incentive for participation. The results achieved in awareness raising and behaviour change are satisfactory. Yet, in this form the project is quite labour-intensive. The environmental service of Hasselt decided to replace it under another, lighter form.
More information:
Mrs
Hilde Pootemans
Municipality of Hasselt
Dr. Willemsstraat, 34 - B-3500 HASSELT
Tel. +32.11.23.90.11
Fax: +32.11.22.33.63
h.pootemans@hasselt.be |
Waste prevention in school curricula
The Hampshire County Council launched a campaign “wastebusting in schools” in 1998, within the framework of the INTEGRA project, a project for integrated waste management promoting waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
 An education pack was distributed to schools. Waste information and case studies made up the pack designed for pupils aged 8 to 14. It could also be used as a starter/stimulus for further work by older pupils. This activities-based pack presented environmental ideas with direct links to core and foundation curriculum subjects. Science, geography, maths and technology were identifiable in the various materials presented.
The pack has several sections with teachers' notes, starter pupil activity sheets, information sheets and case study notes. Pupils' skills would be improved through cross-curricular studies, environmental awareness, conducting successful enquiries, and fieldwork activities based on Hampshire's waste management sites and study centres.
Most of Hampshire schools also received a 10-mn-video called "Wastebusters - a look at rubbish and recycling in Hampshire". It was made by Project Integra with the Romsey Youth Theatre, Hampshire Waste Services and Storyboard Films. Young actors and actresses from the Romsey Youth Theatre took the audience on a tour around waste and recycling sites in Hampshire, from a landfill site to a Materials Recovery Facility, quoting facts and figures about how everyone can reduce, reuse and recycle.
More information:
A green “back-to-school” campaign
At the beginning of each school year since 2000, Belgian pupils are prompted to green their school materials purchases. The objective of the campaign is twofold:
- to increase the offer of environmentally-friendly school material in shops
- to increase the demand for such products from pupils, their parents and their teachers.
There is an agreement between the 3 Belgian regions to carry out this joint campaign, in co-operation with the retailing sector. The Brussels Institute for Environmental Management (IBGE-BIM) implements it in the Brussels Region. In a first step, large retailers have been contacted and invited to widen the range of products offered. In 2001, independent shops and cooperatives also joined the initiative. A country-wide campaign was a pre-requisite for retailers to participate.
 Several tools have been developed to implement the campaign:
- a “RYC” mascot, to monitor the campaign from the child’s satchel to the store shelves;
- a leaflet with 12 tips to choose environmentally-friendly products;
- posters advertising the campaign for schools and shops;
- educational material for teachers.
The first year of the campaign was really successful. More than half of the Brussels pupils have received the leaflet at school and 2,000 teachers ordered the educational material. 40% households were aware of the campaign. In the shops, sales of the recommended school material clearly increased, up to 25% for some products.
Consequently, the number of environmentally-friendly school material offered in shops in 2001 increased, up to twice as many in some stores. IBGE provided the shops in Brussels with posters and labels with RYC effigy. During the back-to-school period, IBGE organised special events in 2 large retailing shops to raise the profile of the initiative. 10% of households having children at school said that they have changed their purchasing behaviour.
More information:
Return
to "Supporting change in lifestyles"
|
