Schools & Institutions

Thanks for clicking on the school resources webpage!  The Mass Recycles Paper Campaign is excited that you want to recycle more at your school. 

How can your school help our campaign?

• Recycle More Paper
• Join Us
• If you are a teacher, have your students take the challenge to recycle more paper

How can you get your students excited about recycling?

• MassDEP Green Team  The Green Team is an interactive educational program that empowers students and teachers to help the environment and slow climate change through waste reduction, recycling, composting, pollution prevention, and energy conservation.  Join The Green and receive educational materials such as posters, achievement stickers, lesson plans and other resources. 
• If your classroom or school doesn’t already have a recycling program – start one!  Use this manual for guidance:  http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/recprog.doc


• Have a competition with your classroom or school to see how many unwanted catalogues you can prevent:  http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/3-step-directions/    or  http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/9-step-directions/

• Did you know one ton of recycled phone books saves 17 trees, 3,700 pounds of lumber and 24,000 gallons of water¹?  Find out when new phone books are going to be delivered in your town and have a phone book drive to collect the old ones.   Tell your students that paper egg cartons, envelopes, roofing felt and animal bedding are some of the products made from recycled phone books.  Give the classroom with the most phone books an ice-cream or pizza party. 

• Pick a paper recycling advertisement/poster from our Toolkit, print it, and hang it in your classroom. 


• Have your students pick a PSA from our Toolkit and pick a classroom representative to read it over the morning announcements. 

More resources or “Resources for teachers”

• Paper Industry Association Council school info
• Paper Retriever school fundraising
• MRP Community spotlight September 08 (to feature Agawam school recycling education programs)
• A Brookline elementary school teacher’s blog about a Catalogue Choice challenge his students did, and lots of other resources for teaching recycling.  Probably ask his permission first – but would be great to feature as Brookline is a Campaign partner. http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/books-and-pages/

Special Message for College & Universities!
MassRecycle has several members actively involved in recycling at Massachusetts colleges and universities.  MassRecycle also has a College & University Council (CURC) that meets twice per year. If you are interested in connecting with others and/or the CURC, please email info@massrecycle.org.

Do you still have questions?
Feel free to use our Ask The Staff online to get your questions answered!