Lovonya DeJean Middle School, a 2008 School Recycling Awards winner, has a recycling and garden program worth sharing! With support from dedicated teachers, the school has made top grades for recycling and gardening. There are blue bins in every classroom, as well as in teachers’ workrooms and lounges, and in the library. The leadership class, taught by Mr. Williams, is responsible for collection.

Yulia Solovieva, teaches the gardening class after-school which meets for one hour a week. Ms. Williams teaches the after school art program which incorporates a lot of reuse ideas into their art projects including the use of old calendars and cards for collages.

Plastic bottles and aluminum cans on campus are recycled for cash by various student groups and the money received is used for a variety of activities. Students also save the bottle caps and use them to decorate their garden.

Many creative reuse projects are visible in this garden such as using cardboard for weed control, using old wine barrels for planters, and placing old styrofoam at the bottom of the bins to

RecycleMorry at Earth Day!WHAT GOES IN THE BLUE BIN?

SPOTLIGHT on Lovonya DeJean Middlemake them lighter. There is even an old satellite metal frame used in the garden to represent the earth.

Earlier this year two large compost bins were purchased with grant funds and Recyclemore helped train students on how to start composting their green waste. The compost will enrich the garden soil and reduce waste going to the landfill.

DeJean has made a great start, but there is still lots of work to be done. This fall there are plans for raised garden beds and Ms. Solovieva hopes to further develop the composting program and start worm composting as well.

Lovonya DeJean Middle School has made environmental education a top priority and has taken the four Rs a step further by adding a fifth “R” (Richmond) to the motto. If you would like to learn more about the garden, contact Ms. Solovieva at (510)231-1430 ext. 25032.

Page 1

• Mixed paper• Cardboard• Glass bottles and jars• Plastic bottles• Steel/tin cans• Aluminum cans and foil (ball it up!)

Volume 9, Issue 1 West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority Fall 2008

RecycleMorry, our new mascot, dances at Earth Day 2008 with local performers Young D and friends.

Page 2

... that every year enough paper is thrown away to create a 12’ wall from New York to California!

Recycle all paper items that cannot be reused. Recycle all other acceptable materials, too!

Organize a mini-yard sale of unclaimed lost and found items, or donate them to a local charity!

Collect your unwanted school supplies for donation to a local charity.

Donate books to book drives such as Children’s Book Project or Books for the Barrios.

If you need extra recycling pick-ups, call Chuck Paradis at Richmond Sanitary Service, (510) 231-1621.

2

3

4

5

1

FIVE WAYS TO REDUCE WASTE AT SCHOOL

RecycleMore at School Programs ...

$$$ Recyclemore Mini-Grants $$$

Earth Day 2008!West County’s Earth Day Celebration (held April 19, 2008) was a huge success! Over 3500 West County residents attended.

Some of the highlights included performances by West County’s own Son De la Terra, Ayanius Saucer, and Tiare O Te Ao as well as presentations by the Insect Discovery Laboratory and Classroom Safari. As a way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of West County’s Earth Day Festival, in 2009, Recyclemore wants to showcase more local talent and emphasize how different schools are practicing their 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Rot). Every school has talented students and unique ways of keeping students interested in recycling, conservation and gardening and we would like you to share your talents and ideas. A great way to showcase your schools’ efforts is to create a educational pictorial display or an earth friendly song for Earth Day 2009.

So if you know of a great local performer or think your school has a creative 4R’s program and want to share it with West County, give us a call at 510-215-3021.

West County Schools can Recycle old computers,

monitors, paint, batteries, and other hazardous waste

for FREE!

If your school needs to recycle old computers or other electronics, old paint or cleaners, batteries, or gardening products, please call Mersina at (510) 215-3104 for more information and to request a fee waiver form.

Materials are delivered to the West Contra Costa Permanent Household Hazardous Waste Facility located at 101 Pittsburg Avenue in Richmond.

Help keep toxics out of the landfill and outof our water!

Mini grants of up to $1,000 are available for West County Schools to set up waste reduction projects or school gardens that incorporate composting as a form of waste reduction.

We fund proposals on a first-come, first-served basis, so do not wait to contact us at 215-3126.

Last school year, Richmond High School, DeJean Middle School and Highland Elementary School received mini grants to help start their gardening programs. Your school can too!

Call 215-3021 for more information.

Student and Teacher Feedback

“Thank you. The kids will remember the conncetions to recycling and preserving our natural environment.”

6th Grade Teacher, Valley View Elementary

“I really like the cubes that come from the machine. I like the train. Thank you very much.”

1st Grade Student, El Sobrante Elementary

West County student volunteers helping out at the 9th Annual West County’ Earth Day Celebration.

2008’s Top Recycling Champs!! Middle College High $2,000 Pinole Valley High $1,600

Adams Middle $1,000 Juan Crespi Middle $1,200 DeJean Middle $1,500 Coronado Elementary $ 700 Grant Elementary $ 900 Highland Elementary $ 500 Mira Vista Elementary $ 500 Bethel Christian $ 500 St. John’s Elementary $ 700

Congratulations to This year’s

Recycling Award Winners!

... that every year enough paper is thrown away to create a 12’ wall from New York to California!

The 4 Rs Action Program Limited spots!

Academic credit available for Teachers. KIDS for the BAY educators teach six hands-on lessons in your classroom, providing an in-depth investigation into the 4 Rs, and facilitate a waste reduction action project. As part of this FREE program, teachers receive training, a curriculum guide, resources, and can earn academic credit through Cal State East Bay. Open to grades 3 through 5. Contact KIDS for the BAY at 510-985-1602, or visit www.kidsforthebay.org.

Page 3

Start Your Worms This Year!What do you get when you recycle an apple core? A) an orange peel B) An apple pie

C) plant food

If you guessed C (plant food) then you are ready to start your food composting program!

Let RecycleMore help you set up a worm bin to reduce your waste.

1

Plan ahead...It’s easy as 1-2-3!

3 Steps to Starting a School Garden!

Pick a spot for your garden and develop a preliminary planting plan. Start clearing away debris and amending the soil with compost (see Step 3).

Apply for a RecycleMore mini-grant as early in the schoolyear as possible. Don’t wait until the spring - it takes 4 to 8 weeks to process an application. Fall is an excellent time to start preparing your soil for planting in the spring. Call us at 215-3021 to schedule a free composting class and receive a free compost bin for your school. We can train students, teachers, and parents to compost yard trimmings and food scraps, recycling nutrients and creating a wonderful soil amendment!

This school year, Recyclemore continues to offer a range of quality programs that are FREE and open to all schools in West Contra Costa County. Our workshops and field trips are popular, so call us early to reserve a spot for your class!

Recycling Center and Landfill Field TripsTour the landfill and the recycling center on this ever-popular field trip. 3rd - 12th GradeTuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 - 12:30

Recycling Center Field Trips This field trip is open to first and second grades, and is shorter and more hands-on than the recycling-landfill combined field trip. 1st and 2nd GradeTuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 - 12:30

Four Rs PresentationsIntroduce your class to the 4 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot! Offered before a field trip, or on their own.K - 12th Grade; 1 hour

Paper-making WorkshopsEach student creates an art project in this hands-on workshop, illustrating the “closing the loop” message. Available to paper-making novices only.Preschool - 6th GradeApproximately 1 hour (depending on grade level and # of students)

Worm Composting WorkshopsWest County’s own Worm Lady, Claudia Taurean, will show your class how to set up a class worm bin and teach your students about the process of vermicomposting.Preschool - 12th Grade; 1 hour

Art in the HeartThis Wonderful after school creative arts program is dedicated to the4R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Rot). Instructors and artists from the EastBay Depot for Creative Reuse work with students to introduce the 4R’s in a fun and artisic way. K-6th Grade

Earth Team’s Green ScreenYour class or school can be the star of the web (ww.thegreenscreentv.net/) and TV! Give us a call if you think your waste reduction programcan stand the lime light! K-12 Grade

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SIGN UP, CALL 215-3021!

RecycleMore at School Programs ...

$$$ Recyclemore Mini-Grants $$$

West County Schools can Recycle old computers,

monitors, paint, batteries, and other hazardous waste

for FREE!

If your school needs to recycle old computers or other electronics, old paint or cleaners, batteries, or gardening products, please call Mersina at (510) 215-3104 for more information and to request a fee waiver form.

Materials are delivered to the West Contra Costa Permanent Household Hazardous Waste Facility located at 101 Pittsburg Avenue in Richmond.

Help keep toxics out of the landfill and outof our water!

Mini grants of up to $1,000 are available for West County Schools to set up waste reduction projects or school gardens that incorporate composting as a form of waste reduction.

We fund proposals on a first-come, first-served basis, so do not wait to contact us at 215-3126.

Last school year, Richmond High School, DeJean Middle School and Highland Elementary School received mini grants to help start their gardening programs. Your school can too!

Call 215-3021 for more information.

Student and Teacher Feedback

“Thank you. The kids will remember the conncetions to recycling and preserving our natural environment.”

6th Grade Teacher, Valley View Elementary

“I really like the cubes that come from the machine. I like the train. Thank you very much.”

1st Grade Student, El Sobrante Elementary

1

2

3

One Alvarado Square San Pablo, CA 94806tel. 510.215.3125 fax. 510.236.1636email. info@recyclemore.comweb. www.recyclemore.com

• Pass it on to a colleague• Post it in your staff room• When it is no longer of use to anyone....place it in a recycling bin!

Please Reuse & Recycle This Newsletter:

Additional Carts or Extra Pick Ups Richmond Sanitary Service - Chuck Paradis 231-1621 General Information Recyclemore 215-3125

Waste Audits,Classroom Bins , Grant Information, and Earth Day Information Claudia Taurean 215-3126 Field Trips, Paper-making Kits/Workshops,and Compost HotlineCecilia Viggiano 215-3021

(For day-to-day recycling/waste reduction operations, contact your school’s Recycling Coordinator.)

If you would like to receive this newsletter via email,please email info@recyclemore.com.

Printed on 100% recycled paper.

SPOTLIGHT on Lovonya DeJean Middle.........1What Goes in the Blue Bin?...............................1Introducing RecycleMorry... ............... ..................1Did You Know.......................................................2Recycling Award Winners.....................................2Mini-Grants.......................................................2Five Ways to Green Your Schoo...........................2Hazardous Waste Recycling...............................2School Programs....................................................3Important Recycling Phone #s................................4Cecilia’s Welcome ............................................................................4

Page 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Printed on 100% recycled paper.

SCHOOL POSTINGDISTRIBUTION APPROVED

AT PRINCIPAL’S DISCRETIONADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

IMPORTANT RECYCLING PHONE NUMBERS

Welcome Back!

My name is Cecilia, and I am the new Recycling Coordinator at Recyclemore. I grew up in the Bay Area, and recently graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Environmental Studies. I cannot wait to meet all of the students and teachers in West County who have been working so hard to implement the 4 Rs in their schools. I am eager to teach and learn with you and to dedicate my energies toward helping West County reduce its waste even more this year.