Trash Free is the Way to Be! Become a Trash Free School!

The Trash Free Schools Project is a program run by the Alice Ferguson Foundation. The Foundation has been working towards its trash free goal through sponsoring over twenty years of trash cleanups. In 2005, the foundation grew its efforts to include the Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative that would work with leaders, businesses, organization, and citizens to solve the Potomac’s trash problem. This has grow to encompass schools with the Trash Free School Project whose missions is to educate and empower students, faculty, and staff to reduce their school’s waste footprint by providing education and resources, including a comprehensive Guidebook, to aid in rethinking, reducing, reusing, and recycling. The aim of the project is to provid students and staff at K-12 schools have the resources needed to investigate an environmental issue while implementing a strong waste reduction and litter prevention strategy.

Students and schools have a lot to gain from participating in the Trash Free Schools program; including creating an active and environmentally-aware school culture by increasing participation and engagement among the school body, fostering environmental stewardship through student action , gaining recognition as an environmental leader among schools and establish a starting point for other “green” certification programs, and providing a great service learning opportunity for students.

Eighteen schools from both DC and Maryland are already participating in the program, is school up to the challenge?

To become a Trash Free School, you first submit a signed Trash Free School Pledge, and form a Green Team. Then continue with the The Trash Free Schools 8 steps to help your school reduce waste.