Fourth-grade students at Farmington Elementary School teamed up to sort trash and recycling, measuring the impacts of the recycling program. Farmington Schools takes an assertive approach to energy and waste reduction to control operation costs to maximize resources available for the educational program. The district is an active partner with Dakota County in an Enhanced Recycling Program which is supported by a $30,000 grant. In fact, County staff worked side-by-side with Anne Anderson who coordinates district energy savings and composting programs and Lena Larson from City of Farmington Public Utilities at this event. Students from the school and Principal Ben Januschka played a vital role in the effort.

1. TEAM APPROACH FOR RECYCLING AUDIT Farmington Elementary School – Friday, April 8

2. Students traveled the school to collect trash and recycling.

3. Students made sure to place the materials in the proper bin.

4. Materials were gathered in a central location for sorting.

5. Students wore protective suits and gloves for safety.

6. The team worked in cooperation to sort recycling.

9. Materials were weighed using a temporary scale.

10. The trash was considerably less than the recycling materials.

11. The effort is part of the Dakota County Enhanced Recycling Program, supported through a $30,000 grant.

12. Once the classroom trash was sorted, it was time to take on the lunchroom. Principal Ben Januschka motivated students to get up for the challenge!

13. Lunchroom waste has an entirely different smell!

14. Anne Anderson, Schools for Energy Efficiency and Lena Larson, Farmington Public Utilities teamed up with students to coordinate the effort.

15. Students discovered some surprises in the trash.

16. The entire project took over two hours to complete.

17. Milk cartons can be composted.

18. The FES Students showed strong work ethic and discipline to complete the task.

24. Organics program diverted nearly 50% of all waste generated, a savings of 17% in waste related taxes.

25. Administrative staff areas nearly eliminated throwing recyclable materials in the trash.