HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.4 School Recycle Contest
STAFF REPORT
CITY COUNCIL
CITY CLERK
File #810-60
DATE: February 21, 2012
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Joni Pattillo, City Managerd~ ~
SUBJECT: Mid-year Results for the Elementary School Recycling Contest
Prepared by Kathy Southern, Public Service Employee
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City Council will receive a report on the activities of the Dublin Unified School District
("DUSD") recycling contest for elementary schools and recognize the mid-year top recyclers.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: '
None
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the report and present a certificate of
recognition to Dougherty Elementary, Murray Elementary and Green Elementary for their
recycling efforts.
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Submitted By
Assistant to the City Manager
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Reviewed By
Assistant City Manager
DESCRIPTION:
The adopted Dublin Green Plan included a goal to work with the City's schools to increase
awareness of the City's recycling and composting programs. In response, City and Dublin
Unified School District (DUSD) Staff applied for and received funding from the Altamont
Education and Advisory Board (EAB) to conduct a recycling contest for the District's six
elementary schools. The Grant was awarded in the amount of $18,100. The City supplemented
the project budget with $5,000 from the City's recycling funds for a total project budget of
$23,100. To date, the grant has paid for supplies to assist the schools in establishing and
increasing their recycling and composting programs, provided each school with educational
assemblies, and paid each school's monthly cost of compost collection. The goal of the program
is to reduce waste in each of the schools, establish the City's composting program at every
school, and enhance recycling through edU(~ation, as well as make it exciting by having each
school compete to be the top recycler.
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ITEM NO. 3.4
All elementary schools have participated in an entertaining lunchtime assembly and received
vests and litter pickers to assist students in being lunch-time monitors. The City's waste hauler,
Amador Valley Industries (AVI), has assisted school staff with establishing their composting
programs. All schools, with the exception of Murray Elementary, chose to start with food tray
composting only; Murray Elementary decided to do full food scrap composting. Staff has
monitored progress and provided technical assistance through waste audits and will continue to
do so through the end of the school year to determine progress for each school and help each
to achieve their full potential.
Mid-Year Results
Results for the mid-year challenge were based purely on percentage increase (per student) in
diversion of recyclable and compostable materials from the landfill, starting at the beginning of
the school year through December 2011. The results are as follows:
Place School % Increase
in Diversion
1. Dougherty Elementary 17.47
2. Murray Elementary 10.12
3. Green Elementary 9.55
For clarity, Dougherty Elementary increased the amount of recyclable and compostable
materials (diversion) placed in those bins, as opposed to the garbage bin, by 17%. In addition,
we would like to make a special note that Murray Elementary deserves an Honorable Mention
for being the school with the greatest total diversion per student at an incredible 82%. They
have been working hard at diversion for several years and it shows.
For the remainder of the school year, schools will receive points for total diversion and increase
in diversion, along with special points for other diversion programs that each school is
participating in. The end-of-the-year awards will include monitory incentives for each school and
for their custodians.
NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:
A representative from Dougherty Elementary, Murray Elementary, and Green Elementary has
been invited to the City Council meeting to receive the Certificate of Recognition.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
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