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.

LHS Swapping-out older iMacs!

LHS is swapping out older Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) iMacs in favor of new "Thin Client" HP computers. This change is occurring in order to use less electricity.
As much as we appreciated having older refurbished iMacs for student use in labs, they used quite a bit of electricity. So, in cooperation with PG&E, and the Energy Conservation Committee of LVJUSD, the older iMacs are being eWasted.  Ultra-efficient thin client computers are being installed. PG&E will provide a $60 rebate per CRT computer eWasted. The monetary savings from reduced energy use will pay for the cost of the upgrade.
Thin client computers have no moving parts. There is no fan motor and have no motorized hard disk, so much less energy is needed to operate. Flash memory is utilized, and programs are stored on the LHS server. The LHS server is being upgraded to handle our seventy-seven new thin client computers.
Less energy will be consumed at LHS. Newer, faster computers will be used by students. A win, win!

Compost Option Added by Eagle Scout

Joey Gonzalez recently completed upgrading our Science Quad recycle stations for his Eagle Scout project. His project was cleaning, then modifying seventeen outdoor recycle stations to include a compost option. Joey organized the re-cutting and re-labeling of the doors so that the left side is now labeled "COMPOST" as a place for banana peels, apple cores and cardboard trays. Anything we can rot in our compost bins, thereby reducing the waste stream headed to the Altamont Landfill.

The center receptacle label was changed from "Trash" to "Landfill" so that students are reminded of our goal of reducing the material headed to the landfill.

The right side receptacle was previously labeled "plastic bottles". This worked fine, but a decision was made to place Aluminum cans in the same slot as plastic bottles now labeled "RECYCLING."  This freed the left side for compost.
AP Environmental Science students performed as waste analysis last year, determining that most of the material in the trash receptacles could be composted. So this change will hopefully remove more of the compostables from our waste-stream.

Joey with a safety talk, and instructing his workers on how to install the modified doors and signs.

This project is counting on students in the Science Quad placing compostable materials in the left slot marked "COMPOST." If we can make this work in the seventeen LHS Science Quad recycling stations, then we will proceed to modify the remaining recycling stations on campus. LHS has fifty-seven outdoor recycling stations like the ones pictured.

Built Here at LHS!

Peter Nyholm and Michael Hawkins put the finishing touches on a recycle station made right here at LHS! Very COOL!

In the past, using grant money, we have purchased the large green recycle stations for our campus. They are very high quality, but also expensive, and are manufactured in Canada. We like Canada, and we like Midpoint/Clean River manufacturing. But we like LHS students making these right here on campus even more. So, Great Job!

Design students have created this prototype to show that we can customize these stations for use in specialized locations like the gym. Or, in the main hall, or elsewhere. Perhaps other local schools would like to employ LHS students to make their stations?

Progress on Home Built Recycler

Peter Nyholm is nearing completion of a new recycling station at LHS. The station will look very much like our present stations, but some of the dimensions, and functionality of the station has been customized for special uses. Peter made these design advances in Mr. Waltz's CAD (Computer Aided Design)class.

Last year, AP Environmental Science students Brooke Betts and Christina Barras developed a service-learning project to customize a recycle station for use in the Big Gym. They wanted a special station well suited for that application. Brooke and Christina developed a financial grant, gained funding, and started the ball rolling for the building these stations at LHS.

Mike Waltz and the students of the Green Engineering Academy got involved with the design, then Mr. Porter's Wood shop students got involved in the building of our new customized recycler.

Soon, with paint, and some fine tuning, our prototype "Homebuild" recycle station will go into service.

Recycling Stations Reach Big Gym

All over the LHS campus, there are 57 recycle stations. However, the big gym, which hosts many sporting events and school activities year-around, seems to have missed out on the recycle movement. Brooke Betts and Christina Barras, LHS seniors, noticed the need for recycle stations when they had no place to put their plastic water bottles after sport practices. Brooke and Christina took the initiative and wrote a grant application to build new recycle stations for the gym. The proposal for $2800 was accepted by the Altamont Education Advisory Board. The stations will be built on the LHS campus. Mr. Waltz and his Green Engineering Academy will make the designs, which will be give to Mr. Porter and his ROP class to build the stations. The recycle station will have a slot designed to prevent theft of our recycling money. Additionally, they will be built on wheels to be easily transported around the gym floor. Brooke told schools.stopwaste.org, “I figured if the rest of the school has recycling stations that the gym deserves one too.”

Recycle Stations are Under Attack!

By the look of this photo, there are people out there tampering with our recycle stations all over campus. Doors have been pried open with crowbars and locks have been damaged. People have figured out that they can walk onto our campus during nighttime, reach their hands into the round hole, and steal the recycling money that belongs to Livermore High students.

Normally, clubs across campus take turns collecting the recycling, and use the profits for their activities. However, this year, there is only a small amount of those bottles and cans left in the bins to collect. There are 57 recycle stations across campus currently, and this money adds up. Fortunately, students from the Environmental Science class have been cleverly designing improvements to our recycle stations. These designs will hopefully to keep thieves away, but also promote more recycling across campus.

The easy response to theft and vandalism is anger, and vengefulness. However, the economy has probably forced people to do things they probably never thought they would have to do. So, instead of turning our recycle stations into armed fortresses, we have simply unlocked the doors. This will lead to less destruction of our stations, and will prompt students to empty the stations more frequently. A long term solution may include a place for compostable materials in our stations, as well as carefully designed security measures.