The PTA Sustainability Team is involved in a broad range of initiatives including food composting in the cafeteria, recycling plastic film through NexTrex, and collecting aluminum cans and plastic and glass bottles for BottleDrop. 

Last year our school collected over 1,600 pounds of single-layer plastic and raised over $1,000 for the PTA through BottleDrop—we are hoping to do even better this year! 

If you have any questions about the current programs or have new ideas about how to reduce waste at Dr. MLK Jr. Elementary School, please email David Gold at sustainability@mlkjrpta.org. And if you are interested in helping, please contact Tyla Dahlman at volunteer@mlkjrpta.org. 

The NexTrex Recycling Challenge Program awards a TREX® furniture bench to organizations that collect more than 1,000 pounds of soft film plastics and packaging in a 12-month span.

Collect your plastics in a large clear bag (not black garbage bags!) and drop it off at the school's collection site at the top of the ramp to the courtyard. 

The program accepts single-layer plastic film that is not thick or crinkly. Materials accepted include as newspaper bags, plastic shopping bags, dry cleaner bags, and produce coverings; chip bags and really colorful thick plastics are not accepted. For a more detailed list, please go to: drmlkjr.memberhub.com/w/plastic.

The NexTrex recycling program is looking for one or two more parent volunteers to help with the monthly weighing and dropping off of plastics to New Seasons on Vancouver and Fremont. It requires less than an hour, once a month. Timing is flexible. To learn more or sign up to help, please email Erin Kaad at sustainability@mlkjrpta.org. 

Our community is continuing to make wonderful progress recycling plastic.  So far  <<778>> pounds of plastic have been collected and recycled!  That means we only have a little over 200lbs more of plastic to collect until we reach our ultimate goal of 1000lbs of collected plastic for the year.  Keep up the GREAT work! And please remember to collect your plastic in clear bags (no black garbage bags), and if you are not sure if an item is accepted, please review the following list: drmlkjr.memberhub.com/w/plastic.

BottleDrop is a program for recycling aluminum cans and plastic and glass bottles. To participate, grab a Blue Bag from the dispenser at the bottom of the ramp to the courtyard. Fill it with your cans and bottles and bring it to one of the drop-off locations, which you can find here.  

We are also always looking for anyone who is feeling generous and would like to match monthly collection donations. If you are interested, please contact Cara Cram at sustainability@mlkjrpta.org.

So far, this school year, the PTA has received over **$410**  from BottleDrop! AMAZING!!! Great job and keep recycling!

The food composting program in the cafeteria separates out food waste from trash and prevents it from going into landfill. However, this is just one part of the many steps we at the school do to help reduce waste in the cafeteria. When students are finished drinking milk or other beverages, they are asked to empty any remaining liquids into designated buckets. Milk cartons and juice boxes are then collected, and, when possible, rinsed, dried and recycled, while beverages that are in plastic bottles or aluminum cans may be placed into a different receptacle or brought home. Additionally, each day we strive to use metal utensils and plastic reusable green lunch trays. After these items are used, they need to be collected, so they may be washed and used again. Volunteers assist and help remind students where and how to do all of these different tasks. 

Something new our team has begun doing this year is collecting and recycling milk cartons and juice boxes, plastic utensils, straws, Ziploc bags, aluminum foil and yogurt/applesauce containers, and composting used napkins.  

Sign up here to help in the cafeteria: https://shorturl.at/dLMN4. We have morning shifts (8:30-9) and lunchtime shifts (11:15-12:45).  And, even if you cannot do a full shift, we would love to have you for as much time as you can give. Please just email and let me know about how long you think you can stay -THANKS! 

Below are some photos of the sorting that volunteers do in the cafeteria to reduce waste and support composting, including the 100+ daily milk cartons and juice boxes that are collected, rinsed, dried, and recycled!

At school, students are encouraged to drink water throughout the day, including with breakfast, snack, and lunch.  One way to enable students to do this is to send them to school with water bottles. However, PLEASE make sure to put the student's name on their water bottle to ensure if it should get lost or misplaced, it can be returned to its owner.

1. Make a shopping list to avoid overbuying. 

   1. • Look in your fridge and pantry first and see what you need to buy and what you do not.

      • Buy ingredients that can be used in multiple meals and snacks.

2. Plan for leftovers.

• Label leftovers with name and date made - this especially applies to leftover food from when dining out.

• Use leftovers as part of other meals within a day or two.

• Freeze leftovers to be used at a much later date.

3. Eat food in order of perishability; those that will go bad more quickly should be eaten first. 

4. Embrace using your freezer to make good use of food sales and when cooking in large quantities and you have extra portions.