Here are some ideas for reducing the amount of waste thrown away at schools and some ideas for waste related activities that can involve the whole school community:

• Wastebuster is a multimedia teaching resource aimed at teaching primary school children about waste. Visit the website to find out more.
• Join the Eco-Schools programme and find lots of information and case studies that cover waste, litter and other topics. Often minor changes lead to saving money
• Get the teachers to print and photocopy on both sides of the paper.
• Reuse old work sheets
• Make collages from old clothes/scraps of paper
• Compost fruit and vegetables from break and lunchtimes. Also some paper and egg boxes
• Have reusable water bottles
• Put some of the shredded office paper on the compost heap or use it as animal bedding
• Have a junk swap day
• Have a toy swap day
• Organise a second hand uniform sale
• Repaint! Use old paint to paint school buildings or do murals
• Recycle plant pots from the home and decorate them - replant and sell them.
• Secondary schools could make recycled clothing and other items in some of the curriculum areas i.e. textiles, art and technology
• Hold week long amnesties for items to be donated to charities in the UK or abroad i.e. collecting shoes, books, tin openers
• Introduce a 'Swap It' page in the school newsletter for parents and pupils to swap unwanted items such as clothing, music, games etc
• Find out what local projects go on in your area such as those run by Surrey Reuse Network and find out if you can help at all