PTA Grounds & Environmental Awareness Committee 

 UNDER CONSTRUCTION - LOOKING FOR A LEAD

Chair:

To help oversee environmental activities at the school to work together as a team.
  • Develops programs and projects that will enhance the beauty of the school and the community.
  • Promotes environmental education .
  • Publicizes and promotes student participation in the Texas PTA Environmental Awareness Contest

 
 
 
 
 
 
Edible Garden:
Contact: 


Preserve Projects: 
 
 

Recycling Center - Earn Cash for LME

 
The center is located across from the mini-gym. You will see lots of marked plastic bins to drop off your donations.

  • Printer cartridges - used ink and laser
  • Batteries

Printer Ink Cartridges - Laser & Toner

cart2.jpg


cart1.jpg

  • We collect these all year.
  • Place them in the large plastic bins in the recycling center. - take them out of the boxes, keep in plastic sleeve

Box Tops

 Earn money for LME Physical Education Dept.

box-top-w-expiration.jpg

  • Trim with expiration date attached (very important)
  • Check date is NOT expired (very important)
  • All sizes are accepted and are worth the same amount
  • Return to your PE Teacher


Can Tabs

For 25 years Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin has been providing a home away from home for families with critically ill or injured children receiving treatment at Austin hospitals. 
1 pound = 1267 tabs
  • Ronald McDonald Houses collect pop tabs instead of entire aluminum cans because the tabs are pure high-quality aluminum, unlike cans, which consist of aluminum and other alloys. Tabs are also easier to store than whole cans.
  • After the tabs are collected, the local RMHC Chapter brings the collection to local recycling centers, where they are weighed to determine their value (values can vary significantly). The recycling center then sends the local RMHC Chapter a check for the total value.
If you would like to be a runner to RMHC once a quarter 
 
 

LME Event (Recycling) Planning
Our goal is to educate everyone so the collection of recyclables is not contaminated AND disposal is not a burden on any one person. Spread the word and make small changes to your habits. It is a process!

  • Decide WHAT will be recycled
    • Empty aluminum cans, clean & dry plastic, can tops, cardboard, plastic water bottles and tops, etc...
    • Find out what your disposal company will pickup
    • Find out how you can properly dispose of the other materials

  • Container for the collected materials
    • KAB (Keep Austin Beautiful) provides the frames, gloves and bags for recycling at events. All you need to do is fill out a form, date, number of persons and what we plan to recycle. Here is the link or you can call them: http://www.keepaustinbeautiful.org/recycle
    • Plastic Recycling
      Contact our HEB partner. They will donate very large plastic bags. Educate yourself on what type of plastic can be recycled here.
      Then educate others. plastic-recycle-bin.jpgBring the large bag back to HEB and place it in the container where you recycle your plastic bags. If it is too large, bring it inside and give it to a manager.
    • Can Tabs
      Duct tape container for tabs with sign to recycling bin. I used an ozarka bottle with this sign taped to the side. Put collected tabs in the large white bin container in the recycling center. RMHC-SIGN.doc A parent who works downtown can bring the tabs by and bring them to the main office. Proceeds from the sale of the aluminum goes to the RMHC operating expenses.
    • Cardboard
      Discuss with Ms Lillian and/or Tissie Elliott

  • Promoting Your event: http://cleartainers.com/promoting-your-event.htm
    • What signs do you need to help educate people? Spread the word.
    • Monday folders
    • Signs on the walls?
    • Laminate the flyer from the Monday folder
    • Empty --> Recycle
    • Can Tops for RMHC
  • Train everyone on proper disposal so the collection is not contaminated!
    • Cans: Empty, can tabs off
    • Plastic: Clean, dry, correct type
    • Cardboard: Clean and dry
  • Inform everyone every chance you can.... this is a process!
    • Send out emails, talk to groups, send link to this web page
Setup During Event
  • Place aluminum/plastic recycling cans next to the garbage cans as the cans need to be empty (not washed is OK)
  • Add signs as needed
  • Setup large plastic bags to gather six-pack rings and other clean, dry crinkle type plastic - EDUCATE people
  • Don't forget about hard plastics 1-7 that can be recycled in the single stream blue bin (I just took the 2 bags collected home to recycle)
  • Talk to everyone before during and after - train them on proper procedure.
  • Volunteers to roam around and educate people and guide them to the proper containers.

After the Event - DISPOSAL
  • What to do with all of the stuff that has been collected?
    • Aluminum Cans/Plastic #1, #2 Bottles:
Leave in plastic bags near the container and TDS will pickup on their regular pickup day (which is weekly)
  • Cardboard - Ms Lillian to collect - working on a good disposal method! Currently Tissie Elliot takes a truck load to Ecology Action once a week. Another solution is in the works... Nov. 2010... will announce if it happens :)
  • Plastic - take to HEB - place in bins outside where you place the plastic bags OR give to a manager so it is disposed of properly