King County Green Schools Program honors 42 schools for recycling, resource conservation

From a small private Montessori school to a large public high school, 42 King County schools have earned recognition for their recycling and resource conservation efforts from the county’s Green Schools Program.

The schools completed level one of the program by initiating or improving recycling practices and engaging in waste reduction strategies such as decreasing paper use.

The King County Green Schools Program, which has helped more than 250 schools cut waste and save resources since its inception in 2003, provides hands-on assistance, recycling containers and stickers, and the support that schools need to set up and maintain effective, long-lasting conservation practices.

“Each of these 42 schools has involved its whole school community – students, teachers, administrators – in reducing garbage, increasing recycling, and improving other conservation practices,” said Dale Alekel, King County Green Schools Program manager. “When classes resume in September, our program will be there to help the  schools complete level two,” she said.

Level two of the program includes energy conservation plus an additional conservation category that each school selects from the following list: environmental education, environmental purchasing, green building, hazardous materials management, litter reduction, or  transportation choices. Schools that go on to the third and final level of the program add water conservation, plus an additional selection from the list above.

Alekel said many participating schools and districts report cuts in operating expenses after reducing garbage disposal costs by setting up successful waste reduction and recycling practices and from reducing energy and water use.
 
The schools that completed level one of the King County Green Schools Program are:

• Bellevue School District: Bellevue High School; Cherry Crest Elementary School; Chinook Middle School; Highland Middle School; Interlake High School; Lake Hills Elementary School; Medina Elementary School; Newport Heights Elementary School; Newport High School; Odle Middle School; Puesta del Sol Elementary School; Sammamish High School; Sherwood Forest Elementary School; Somerset Elementary School; and Tyee Middle School.
• Enumclaw School District: Southwood Elementary School
• Federal Way Public Schools: Sequoyah Middle School
• Highline School District: Beverly Park Elementary School; Madrona Elementary School; North Hill Elementary School 
• Issaquah School District: Pine Lake Middle School
• Kent School District: Martin Sortun Elementary School; Neely-O’Brien Elementary School; Scenic Hill Elementary School
• Lake Washington School District: Carl Sandburg Elementary School/Discovery Community School
• Mercer Island School District: Island Park Elementary School; Islander Middle School
• Northshore School District: Arrowhead Elementary School; Skyview Junior High School; Sunrise Elementary School
• Riverview School District: Eagle Rock K-5 Multi-Age Program; Carnation Elementary School
• Snoqualmie Valley School District: Cascade View Elementary School; Fall City Elementary School; North Bend Elementary School; Snoqualmie Elementary School; Twin Falls Middle School
• Tahoma School District: Glacier Park Elementary School
• Private schools: Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart (Bellevue); King’s Schools System (Shoreline); Montessori Children’s House (Redmond); The Overlake School (Redmond)

Participation in the King County Green Schools Program has grown each year. To date, 10 of King County’s 18 school districts have received assistance or are now participating, and in doing so, have increased recycling, reduced energy and resource consumption and engaged students in doing something good for the environment.

Simple steps, such as recycling and setting aside food scraps for collection, add up to big benefits. Thanks to the King County Green Schools Program, hundreds of schools are now recycling more than 40 percent of their solid waste and 25 schools are now recycling food scraps.

Last month the program received a Recycler of the Year award from the Washington State Recycling Association.  In addition to providing schools with the hands-on help they need, the program offers a Web site, www.kingcounty.gov/GreenSchools, with helpful tools and resources. Schools interested in improving their conservation practices and receiving assistance can contact Alekel at dale.alekel@kingcounty.gov.

Related information

Green Schools

King County Solid Waste