The Process: We conducted trash audits during the month of November, recruiting four volunteers to monitor trash cans and document every recyclable or organic item thrown away. We weighed the trash cans to measure total waste generated across three lunch periods, one library period, and conducted a photo blitz of recyclables in trash cans after school.

Initial Findings: On average, each lunch period generated 25.53 recyclables and 11.86 compostables - all thrown into garbage bins. While this may not seem alarming at first, the numbers tell a different story when we account for scale.

The Real Impact: With eight trash cans in the upperclassmen cafeteria, three lunch periods daily, and six trash cans in the separate freshman cafeteria, we calculated that over 1,072 recyclables and 498 compostables are thrown away every single day during lunch periods alone.

Annual Waste: Scaling these results across 182 school days, students throw away approximately:

• 195,125 recyclables per year (lunch only)
• 90,657 compostables per year (lunch only)

This doesn't account for hundreds of classroom trash cans, teacher-generated waste, or off-campus waste by upperclassmen. When including these factors, our high school throws away approximately 333,000 recyclables and 150,000 compostables every year.

The Bottom Line: Every three years, we waste over one million recyclables, and every seven years, we throw away one million compostables. Our photo documentation clearly visualized this problem - nearly every trash can we photographed was filled with recyclables that could have been reused.

In January, seven volunteers visited Robert Crown Elementary School to present environmental education to thirteen classrooms across all grade levels. Our Education and Advocacy Committee prepared customized slide decks and interactive crafts tailored to each age group.

Grade-by-Grade Curriculum:

• Kindergarten: Nature appreciation and care • Craft: Paper snowflakes from recycled paper
• 1st Grade: Introduction to recycling • Craft: Recycled paper snowflakes
• 2nd Grade: Reduce, reuse, recycle principles • Craft: Eco-friendly gift tags from cereal boxes
• 3rd Grade: Waste destinations and landfill impacts • Craft: Greeting cards from recycled materials
• 4th Grade: Climate change and warming winters • Craft: Tree decorations from puzzle pieces
• 5th Grade: Carbon footprints and reduction strategies • Activity: 5-minute upcycling challenge

Impact: We educated approximately 390 students about recycling and sustainable practices through hands-on learning and creative activities.

Teacher Feedback: The response was overwhelmingly positive. Mrs. Comacateco (4th grade) shared that her class "learned so much about climate change and also how to help do their part," praising how "the puzzle craft was so great!" Mrs. Swanson (5th grade) called our mini-lessons "impressive and very entertaining."