How to Reduce Waste
The best way to manage our waste is to reduce the amount we produce in the first place!
So... try and remember the 3 Rs.
Reduce
Reduce 
We've all heard about it, but what does it actually mean? Well, it's about not having something in the first place. It's about not taking too much. For example, when you need a birthday card you could go and buy one. But it would be better to make one, and this would be one way to reduce the amount of stuff you buy.
We can reduce waste in school by limiting the amount of paper we use. Make sure everyone knows where the scrap paper trays and recycling points are. Could newsletters be sent electronically? Glebe Infants in Newent already do this - does your school?
Why not have a zero waste lunch day once a week? This might mean opting for fruit rather than plastic-wrapped biscuit bars.
Compost any left-over fruit and don't forget the staff room tea bags! Often adults need to be reminded to use the kitchen caddies in the staff room. Are you brave enough to encourage them?
Take reusable water bottles to school rather than expensive pouches of soft drinks. If you don't like cheese in your sandwiches - tell your parents rather than binning them!
Click here to find out more about how you can 'Love Food Hate Waste
Reuse
Reuse
Paper isn't the only thing that can be reused in school. Unwanted furniture can be offered to families in your newsletter, or offered on Freegle. Schools are encouraged to join their nearest Freegle group, and it’s a very easy way to offer things you may no longer to need, to people who would like it. Click here to find your local Freegle group. Computers and IT equipment can be donated to Gloucestershire charity ITSchools for Africa. Printwaste also offer schools an IT collection service. Textiles such as clothes and bedding that your families no longer want can be collected from school by companies such as Ragtex, Bag2School and BTR. BTR can also provide you with a textile collection bank on-site. All these companies pay for your textiles too! Millie, Florrie and Phoebe carried out a textile collection at their school and collected all this!
Recycle
Recycle 
When you put something in a normal bin, chances are it will end up in a landfill site, which is really just a hole in the ground. Reducing the amount of rubbish we send to landfill will help save energy (think how the rubbish gets to the landfill) and resources (throwing a can away means having to make a new one to replace it). Landfill space is rapidly running out, and burying things that rot, such as food and paper, causes harm to our environment.
Schools in Gloucestershire can recycle paper, cardboard, cans, glass and plastic bottles, WEEE (if it has a plug or batteries, it's WEEE!) IT equipment, computers, light tubes and tetrapacks with Printwaste.
To find out what you can recycle in your home click here.
