From energy efficiency to water conservation to recycling and much more, IUSD is dedicated to making our schools and facilities eco-friendly and sustainable, while educating students and staff about how their daily activities impact the environment.
Alongside a variety of established sustainability practices, IUSD is implementing a new three-bin waste sorting system at all school sites and District facilities, in accordance with SB 1383. The bins include recycling, landfill and organics. The District’s Sustainability and Custodial teams are working with all school sites to help educate students and staff about the new system by providing signage, flyers and other educational materials.
Waste sorting is a crucial aspect of IUSD's organic recycling initiative. As our partners, please take a moment to talk with your students about this new system and share the following guide to waste sorting:
- Recycling (blue bin): all plastic bottles, metal cans and clean cardboard trays/boxes
- Organics (green bin): food scraps, including meat, bread, cheese, vegetables and fruit peels
- Landfill (gray bin): any remaining non-recyclable or compostable items
In addition to this waste sorting system, IUSD’s Nutrition Services staff at each school site proactively works to reduce waste by ordering the right amount of food for their students. In the event there is a large excess of food, IUSD partners with and donates food to Second Harvest. The District also collects food through food recovery share boxes, which are carts or tables where students and staff can place unconsumed food and beverage items. These tables allow other children to take additional helpings of food or beverages at no cost and help curb additional food waste from ending up in landfills.
Additionally, the District has discontinued the use of single-use plastic water bottles and straws, made changes in utensil dispensing methods and a concerted effort to reduce packaging, which all contribute to IUSD's comprehensive approach to curbing waste generation and reaching our Zero Waste goals.
Listen to this quick message from IUSD’s Student Board Members on why organic recycling can lead to a more sustainable future.
For more information on IUSD’s organics recycling practices, visit the organics recycling webpage.