Small Steps Lead to Sustainability

The students at Lone Tree Elementary are setting an outstanding example for meal recycling in DCSD. After lunch, students move through the recycling line, step by step. They begin by discarding straws, emptying and recycling milk cartons, placing unopened items in the share bucket, tossing trash in the proper bin, and finally composting any leftover food from their trays. At the end of the last lunch period student volunteers check the compost to ensure there’s no contamination, a crucial final step.

This detailed attention to waste management is paying off in measurable results. The school’s diversion rate (the percentage of waste kept out of landfills or incineration through methods such as recycling, composting and reuse) has reached an impressive 60% this year. At this point in the year, the school has reduced the amount of the weekly collected trash by a significant 12 cubic yards!

This commitment to sustainability shows that small, consistent actions can lead to massive, measurable change.