Current School Zero Waste Efforts

Bags & wallets made from juice pouches by Oxbow students!
By connecting schools with other programs, resources and each other, our staff can broaden the scope of what any one school or program can accomplish. Some examples are:
- Montpelier High School, Union Elementary School and Twinfield Union School have teamed up and are recycling bottle caps through the Aveda Corporation. For more information: www.aveda.com/caps
- Barre Town Elementary Middle School is recycling juice pouches through Terra-Cycle
- Montpelier High School and Twinfield Union School have teamed up to collect and recycle chip bags through Terra-Cycle. For more information: http://www.terracycle.net
- Oxbow Middle & High School students began making bags, wallets and other cool stuff out of juice pouches this spring (2011) in their Consumer Sciences classes. They have teamed up with Bradford Elementary School and Barre City Elementary Middle School to collect the pouches and make them into new products that may be sold in the school stores.
- Saying no to single use items, including straws! This not only saves the school money, but also prevents a lot of plastic being sent to the landfill. There are 13 schools in CVSWMD member towns that no longer use straws! Check out how one Vermont kid is taking on straws:http://bestrawfree.org/
- Many schools have made the switch from plastic utensils, paper plates and Styrofoam soup bowls to reusable trays and bowls and metal silverware. Although the cost up front may seem significant, over time the school will not only save money, but save landfill space and natural resources as well.