School District: Kent
School Location: Kent
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: March 2009

Level One of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in March 2010

Waste reduction and recycling

• Mill Creek Middle School increased its recycling rate from 18 percent to more than 37 percent, a 108 percent increase.
• Due to the school’s recycling success, the garbage Dumpster is now picked up half as often, resulting in an average savings of $200 per month.
• By reducing paper use and lunchtime waste, the school decreased its total solid waste by approximately 440 cubic yards during the 2009-10 school year.
• Efforts included educating students and staff, increasing classroom recycling, and initiating lunchroom can, bottle and milk carton recycling.

• To promote recycling, students created a video about recycling do’s and don’ts. The video was shown during video announcements at the school. It was also shown at the Kent School District Tech Expo where students promoted recycling practices.
• As the lunchroom program got started, student monitors helped the student body to properly sort garbage and recyclable materials.
• Recycling containers were added to the lunchroom for milk cartons, juice boxes, plastic bottles and aluminum cans, and stickers listing what can and can’t be recycled were placed on all school recycling containers.

For more information about the school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:

Julia Vasiliauskas, teacher
julia.vasiliauskas@kent.k12.wa.us

Beth Gilbertson, district environmental services supervisor
beth.gilbertson@kent.k12.wa.us