Recycling Signage Tune-up

Where do I put my apple core?

Laminated images and written instructions have been added to our recycling stations. Every effort has been made to keep our recycling stations intuitive, and easy to use.  "Compost" is a clear message to some people, and perhaps not to everyone.  To help users know where to put apple cores, or milk cartons, or the remnant of their sandwich, we have added new labels.

Big images of fruit or milk cartons lure the student to the correct bin. When the student gets closer to the "COMPOST" sign, the simple written instructions help confirm we are at the right place.  Just under, "COMPOST" is the small print, "food scraps and milk-cartons"  please."

Can I recycle my engine oil here? It says recycling!

No engine oil recycling right here. But Livermore Sanitation will collect engine oil from residences.

So, what material should go in the "Recycling" bin?  On the LHS campus outdoor recycle stations, our "Recycling" sign means plastic bottles and aluminum cans. We are working to remove aluminum and plastic from the waste stream headed to the landfill. Paper, cardboard, batteries, eye-glasses, ink cartridges are all recycled somewhere else on campus. 

To clarify our message, we improved our signage. Plastic bottles and aluminum cans are "low-hanging-fruit", meaning they are an easy first-step to reducing the waste stream. Plastic and aluminum are also important because they have a decent redemption value, which encourages student clubs to help collect plastic and aluminum from these bins and earn money for their club.

The Recycling side of our stations now has pics of water bottles and aluminum cans. To reduce the amount of odd entries in the Recycling slot, we added "plastic bottles and aluminum cans, please".  Adding "please" just sounded less bossy.

Green Engineering Academy students in the news

More GEA news....

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/video/8636340-east-bay-school-helping-students-prepare-for-good-jobs/

LHS Recycling Instructional Video

Try this link to see what StopWaste.org posts about LHS GoGreen!

http://schools.stopwaste.org/share/high-school/livermore/1100-promoting-recycling-through-media.html

Repairing our Recycle Stations

Who fixes the recycle stations when they break?

AP Environment Science students were urged to select a project where we can "Think Globally, but act Locally," and to, "Make a difference."  This project involved the difficult task of breathing new life into our aging recycling stations. Many of our recycle stations are approaching seven years old. These stations have been here longer than any of our students. They have have been heavily used and have been sitting out in the elements.

So, repair and maintenance is in order.

The signs have faded, and are being replaced.
Some doors broke off, and have been found, and reinstalled.
The plastic seams were broken on some, and were reglued.
The locks were broken or bent, and were replaced with the redesigned wooden latch.
Some doors warped, and were adjusted to fit again.
Some stations have been used as skateboard jumps, and needed to be sanded.
Most recyclers just get dirty and nasty, and must be scraped, sprayed off, and wiped down.

This turned out to be a huge, dirty job, but these guys are getting it done!

Whenever a person walks by room S4, one of these stations is sitting along side of the building "in-the-process" of being fixed up. Each station has different needs, but looking around campus, most of the stations look pretty good, and very functional, thanks to the work of these AP Environmental Science students.

Compostumbler at LHS

Now that we are separating out a fair amount of compostable material at Livermore High School, we need more places to compost it. We have built compost bins in the past, and we have four commercially purchased box shaped composters.  However turning over the compost, and keeping rodents out of the composting apples and bread can be a problem.

The solution has been to install the Commercial sized Compostumbler. Purchase was made possible with grant money from the Altamont Education Advisory Board.

Students collect compostables from the campus recycling station "compost"bin. Most materials need to be cleansed of non-compostable materials, and broken into small pieces. Yard trimmings, both green and dried/brown are mixed in. Periodically the crank is turned, and the entire batch is turned over within the Compostumbler. The compost is finally placed in planter boxes in our organic garden.

Assembly turned out to be fairly detailed, and luckily the young lady bolting this together was able to escape prior to final assembly.

Spring color on LHS Campus

Daffodils, Tulips, Daisies, Rosemary, Johnny-Jump-ups. AP Environmental Science students took on the project of re-planting existing pots on campus, as well as adding an additional big pot of spring color.

This seems like a simple project, but in reality it was a study in coordination. To complete this project, students coordinated with the principal, with another teacher whose students planted bulbs, and with the local nursery.

The campus environment seemed dismal with pots devoid of any plants, other than a few weeds. APES students recognized a need to improve campus pride by improving our local environment. Permission was gained to make changes with the ignored pots.

The teacher who planted bulbs with her students agreed to share the pots with the APES students and we can help each other out with watering.

Through Rotary connections with Interact Club, an appointment was made at Alden Lane to plan out plantings, soil amendments, and watering schedule. We were fortunate to receive so much help at Alden Lane.

The Pots were replanted, and have been regularly watered.
Terrific outcome!

The spring color will continue for weeks to come, while the Rosemary will grow through the summer. Bulbs will return next spring.

Dyson AirBlade hand-dryer installation in LHS bathrooms

Dyson AirBlade hand-dryers will be installed in the 400 building bathrooms this year. AP Environmental Science students have coordinated which bathroom should receive the hand dryer, and have worked out the cost-benefit analysis.

It sounds simple enough to get this device installed. However, proper location as well as proper installation and wiring are crucial. Coordination with the Director of Facilities and our Conservation Consultant have led to plans for installation during Spring Break (we hope!).

The Dyson AirBlade blows air over a persons hands. This eliminates the need for paper towels in the bathroom. Though electricity is needed to run the AirBlade, the overall cost of paper towels is much greater than the cost of electricity. Also, paper towels = cut trees. Presently, paper towels must be purchased, warehoused, transported, installed, then hauled off, and disposed of. With this change, less trees will be cut down, our district will spend less money, and our custodians will be able to spend time cleaning our classrooms instead of hauling used paper towels.

Projects such as this one get completed through careful coordination with all persons involved.

Cardboard Food trays removed from waste-stream

When AP Environmental Science students poured out the waste bins in the science quad and examined what we throw away at LHS, a large portion of the material was compostable or recycle-able cardboard food trays from our cafeteria. Take out the trays, and the waste stream reduced by nearly 50%.

Fast food restaurants do this already by supplying a place for customers to stack their trays!

This started APES/Green Engineering students on a project to design and build tray holders that would fit the tops of our recycle stations. The simpler-the-better. Clear signage, coordinated school colors, strong materials. Angles, assembly surfaces, and attachments points were all designed and a prototype was built.

When everything works as planned, students do not need instruction. The use of the tray holder is intuitive! The prototype is generating cardboard trays, so we have success.

Head Custodian, Mr. Malaca, indicated that custodians appreciate hauling smaller quantities of material to the trash compactor, and that the cardboard trays will be taken to the paper/cardboard bin for reycling.

Native plants and drip irrigation at LHS

Western Redbuds and Ceanothus are blooming alongside the Science Quad at LHS!  This Eagle Scout project used concepts from AP Environmental Science: California native plants, and an efficient drip irrigation system.

From the standpoint of the student, much of this project was in design and coordination with the school authorities. Consultation and approval were needed from the Principal, and with the grounds keepers, and with the APES teacher. Approval to tap into the watering system, along with designing the pressure step-down and filtration system was no small task.

Soil preparation, excavation, drainage as well as planting, and eventual coverage with mulch was planned out and implemented by the student project leader.

California native plants which belong in our Livermore Valley will succeed for many years. Consultation at Alden Lane nursery led to choosing the Redbud and Ceanothus.  California natives, along with use of drip irrigation systems, will reduce LHS use of a precious resource, fresh water.

Shoot that paper in the right bin!

RECYCLEHOOPS

Recycling needs to be FUN! Get some GAME!

AP Environmental Science students decided inject fun into putting paper in the paper/cardboard bin. Using skills learned in the Green Engineering Academy regarding functional scale, students designed and built miniature basketball hoops that hover over the RIGHT place for waste paper. The goal is to induce students to put waste paper in the paper recycling bin, instead of putting in the trash can.

Reducing waste is our overarching goal. Using less paper is our first step. But if paper becomes waste, it should head off for recycling, instead of heading to the landfill. Waste analysis at LHS shows that too much paper is still being placed in trash cans instead of where it belongs, in the recycle bins.

RECYCLHOOPS offers students some fun, while putting waste paper in the correct bin. We hope this results in less materials going into the landfill, and results in more paper being recycled.

The first try, using a full-sized basketball standard, quickly turned sour, as everyone wanted to dunk and hang on the rim. Images of the hoop, backboard, and structure possibly crashing down on students ended that effort. Scaling down to a size that would be acceptable in a classroom setting, without causing a riot, was imperative.

The points scheme on the backboard explains: 1 point at the free throw line ( a taped mark on the floor) 2 points a bit further out, and 3 points for a shot beyond the arc. Initial results with the prototype have been good, with some teacher monitoring. Three more hoops are in development.

Replace keyed locks with user friendly latches.

Students solve latch problem
This project involved redesigning how the LHS recycle station doors are held shut. When purchased,  our LHS recycle station doors had keyed locks. This seemed sensible, but the locks on the doors were soon broken open by people who come on campus to take our plastic and aluminum for CRV. The solution: stop locking the doors. This resulted in reduced breakage of doors, but the doors would flop open. Open doors looked bad, would break off, and the gulls would get in and pull out a mess of litter.

Doors flopping open was a problem
Green Engineering Academy students in AP Environmental Science students took on this project. The keyed locks were removed. A latch was designed to replaced the lock. Preliminary work investigated using welded metal latches, or built-up latches using available steel hardware. Magnets were tried. Eventually a decision was made to use Poplar wood doweling. A 3/4 inch dowel and a 1/4 dowel peg supplied the needed fix. Using the "Simpler is Better" model, the latches were easy to understand, simple to make, and inexpensive. Students were able to measure, drill, and cut the material onsite with available tools. This was better for us than welding or grinding metal.

The result is a simple, functional latch that keeps the doors closed. Repair and replacement should be simple.