Ecology Club

2009-2010
Some Exciting Plans and Initiatives
for this School Year
• Composting of Cafeteria waste both from the preparation of food
and student-generated waste
• Extensive recycling of a greater variety of products, including but not
limited to electronics, power bar wrappers, cds, computers, and
possibly tvs
• Recycling competition will be held as part of house challenges
• Our very own T-shirts, made from recycled content and/or organic
cotton, displaying Ecology Club’s own design, which will be used in
part as a fundraiser
• Involvement in Hawken’s expenditure on food and maintenance;
• Organize an Earth Day program – this can be in the form of a House
challenge. We can use this day as a Field Day or as a Earth-
Community Service day.
• Connect with the Cleveland environmental programs to take part in
• Inform the school on environmental issues on a regular basis, as
well as inform students of our standings as a school in the Green
Cup Challenge
 Composting/Vermicomposting
Organic Waste
One of Hawken’s largest problems is organic waste
generated from the White House Cafeteria.
This includes all the waste from kitchen preparation (i.e. egg shells, fruit
peels, etc.) and food scraps from students. Hawken can compost
grains, fruit and vegetables that students of not eaten. With a little
effort, the Ecology Club can help recycle these products back into the
environment. This would require us to do a few things:
• During the Spring and Fall, a schedule will be maintained for students
to help in the composting effort after or before school. It will not
require much time, but will need consistent involvement from Ecology
Club members.
• In the Winter, we will be collecting and storing organic waste to be
composted in the Spring, when decomposing will take a more rapid
effect on the food.
• Teaming up with the Circle W Garden will allow us to provide rich,
fertile soil for them to use in growing vegetables and fruits.
 House Recyling Challenge
Hawken’s new House system will provide key opportunities for
competitions between houses to see who can recycle the most for a
specific category. This may include:
• Computers
• TVs
• Phones
• Batteries
• Power bar wrappers
• Clothing and used sports equipment
• Cds and VHS tapes
The goal of these programs will be to provide recycling at Hawken for
items which are harder to recycle. Possible companies that will help
us achieve are goal may include E Scrap Recycling.
Resources: escraprecycling.com (based in Cleveland), RET3 Job
Corp., http://www.cuyahogaswd.org/
 Earth Day Activities
Unfortunately, Hawken has not had school-wide
participation on Earth Day, but this may be the
year we can change that!
This would involve participation from individuals of the Ecology Club to
help organize events which students can participate in on or off
campus. Not only would students get the opportunity to personally
get involved in environmental awareness, but it would allow students
up to a day off school!
Ask Mr. Dlugosz for more information on how to be invovled
Resources: GreenCityBlueLake – www.gcbl.org
Great Lakes Metroparks:
http://www.great-lakes.net/tourism/rec/parks.html
 Hawken’s Maintenance
Management
Hawken is a well maintained school. However,
there are many flaws in keeping it sustainable.
There are many small things that can make a positive impact on the
health of our environment and the health of students. What may
seem as insignificant to our school’s impact can make a huge
difference. Some ideas to suggest:
• The use of greener cleaning supplies
• Switching toilet paper/tissue paper to recycled content toilet paper,
and garbage bags to recycled-content garbage bags
• Working with the kitchen staff to make more sustainable choices
about the food we eat; choosing anti-biotic free meats, and fish that
were farmed in a sustainable environment.
Resources to Consider: seventhgeneration.com, BioKleen products,
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommen
 Informing Hawken School
One of the most essential aspects of this club is
education of environmental awareness.
A new aspect of Ecology Club will be participation in school
meetings to alert students of environmental issues.
Occasionally, we will try to present some issues afflicting
our global and local community. Anyone who is
passionate and concerned about a topic under
environmental awareness is welcome to present,
however these are some suggestive guidelines:
• A powerpoint is preferable to information across
• Videos work amazingly well; but be informed on your
topic before you present
 Ecology Club’s Own T-Shirt!
Every member of the Ecology Club has their own
opportunity to submit a design for our club T-
shirt which they have created. Preferably the
image is digitally created, but either will work.
Designs will be due by the next club meeting
(approximately next week or more). We will vote
on the best design the same day. Notes to
Consider:
• Designs can’t be too complex due to cost issues
• The T-shirts will be made from 70% recycled cotton (scrap cotton
from manufacturing facilities).
• Recycling Initiatives for Hawken School ’09-10
• Some of the Ideas to consider for an extensive recycling program at Hawken:
• What: Computers, Calculators, Cellphones, random electronics via E-scrap Solutions; Where: Headquartered downtown in Cleveland, Oh. Requirements: Contact the
organization via phone with authorized Hawken administrator to monitor our business partnership. We also need to organize collection process. Convenience and
Positives: Free pick-up Contact Info: Phone:216-431-0796 Website: http://www.escraprecycling.com/
• What: Powerbar Wrappers via TerraCycle Where: New Jersey Requirements: We must send in our 501(c)3 charity (and their Tax ID #) to donate as a school business
Convenience and Positives: Free shipment supplies and postage. Also, school receives $.02 for each wrapper donated Contact Info: Phone: 866–967–6766 Website:
http://www.terracycle.net/cbb/cbb.htm
• What: Computer recycling, including monitors, hardrives, cables, printers, mouses, and anything computer related How: Computers donated are given to local Cleveland
Schools through OneComunity Where: The closest site of donation to Hawken US has drop-off times from August 22-September 5, at 610 SOM Center Road, M-F 7:00-
3:00 and Sat. 9:00-1:00 Requirements: Hawken must transport the supplies collected. Convenience and Positives: All proceeds go to local schools, and there is a wide
range of computer supplies donatable Contact Info: To contact about Mayfield Village’s recycling, call (440) 442-5506, or look at waste management’s computer recycling
website, http://www.cuyahogaswd.org/residents/comprec.asp
• What: Fund raiser T-shirts How: Hawken Ecology Club’s own design Where: Hawken Requirements: Proposed manufacturer (preferable organic, or even recycled T’s)
and design submittal by October (date TBA) Convenience and Positives: Great way to raise awareness and have fun! Contact Info: N/A
• What: Cd Recycling How: Through the CD Recycling Center of America Where: The Compact Disc Recycling Center of America 68H Stiles Road, Salem, NH 03079
Requirements: Hawken must pay for postage to ship Cds Convenience and Positives: Cds are recycled free of Charge if they are obsolete or broken, including Cd
cases Contact Info: http://www.cdrecyclingcenter.com/
• What: Soy-based inks for our laser printers How: Ordering inks online Where: internet Requirements: Hawen must pay switch all their current laser printers to soy-ink
Convenience and Positives: Soy-based ink is biodegradable, therefore it is easier to recycle. They are easier to grow, and produce few VOCs (volatile organic
compounds). Plus, Ohio is home to 30,000 soy-bean producers, and therefore is the leader in the soy-ink industry Contact Info: Information: soyinksource.com Retailers:
prctec.com→ soyprint.net. Call Rick Greenlaw (tel. 888-640-0062). http://www.soynewuses.org/ProductsGuide/Industrial_PrintingInks.aspx
• What: Cleaner cleaning supplies How: Purchase of greener cleaning supplies Where: multiple locations Convenience and Positives: biodegradable, hypoallergenic,
safe Contact Info: Website: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Green-Cleaning
• What: Composting Cafeteria waste (organic waste) How: Creating Bins with wood/metal stakes, ties, deer fence, and hammers Where: By Hawken’s organic Garden
(preferably in the sun or part sun) Requirements: Initially, a 6in “brown” layer of carbon material (leaves), a 2in layer of “green” material (nitrogen-rich, such as organic
cafeteria waste or grass cuttings from Hawken’s lawnmowers), and 1in of some activators (can be garden soil or bioactivators). Altogether, there will be 3-4 cycles of this
mixture. As the year goes on, we will most likely just add organic waste until springtime, when conditions are more optimal for composting. A group of volunteers are
needed to maintain it during the peak seasons at least 1-2 times a week Convenience and Positives: Supplies gardening soil for the Hawken Motley Crew, and gives
Hawken a “green” image Contact Info: resources: http://www.bluegrassgardens.com/how-to-build-a-compost-bin.htm and http://
www.cuyahogaswd.org/residents/backyard.htm
• What: Recycling of a multitude of electronics, including TVs and MP3s How: Companies find a place for the item to be recycled/refurbished and pay for its shipment
postage Where: Sam’s Club and Office Max Requirements: Hawken must deliver the items to the store and handle the arrangements Convenience and Positives:
Items that are traded-in of a certain value can be credited towards a gift card that can be used for Hawken (sports games, etc.) Contact Info: website:
www.econewonline.com/samsclub
• Donate sports equipment (tennis rackets, baseballs, gloves, etc.) at sportsgift.org
• Hawken Recycling Programs and Initatives:
• Composting old hand paper towels, food scraps from cafeteria, and coffee grounds /tea bags from the teacher’s lounge (by organizing separate bins for compost) and
possibly combine efforts with Circle W Garden and Hawken Motley crew for the Hawken Gardens.
• House recycling challenge
Challenges Housese to compete for the most goods recycled - figure out a way to organize it so that it will work.
• If Hawken School doesn’t already do this, there are tax grants available to our school (www.cuyahogawd.org/education/grant.htm). You can also call Kathleen Rocco for
more information (tel. 216-443-3731).
• Plastic bag recycling?
• Freecycle at Hawken: Create Hawkcycle, where online posts can be made just like ebay to post unneeded/ unused items in one's house, so that it can be spread
throughout the community for those who need it rather than be wasted. It’s intended for those things that normally can't be donated/ are awkward to donate, and open
hawken community to material requirements. The most likely items freecycled will be worn books and school supplies (i.e., if you have a worn-out binder that’s still
useable, but you want a new one – or you bought mechanical pencils but found out that you like regular pencils better). Not intended for more expensive items.
• Ecology Club Goals
• Dear Ecology Club Members!,
• We are excited to have you all here to help out and even more excited that we now know what your aims are to help in the ecology club if you wrote your name and
interest down on the Specific Program Sign-Up sheet. First, I want to mention that tomorrow, Monday the 7th of Sept., at 1 p.m. I will be working along with other Ecology
Club members on our compost bins which will eventually recycle cafeteria waste. If any is interested at all in helping out or just seeing how composting is done and/or
how you can do it at home, just stop by.
• Also, here are the details for what needs to be done for Earth Day 2010 (April 22nd, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day!) / House Recycling Challenge:
•
• 1. Earth Day or that entire week would be a great opportunity to recycle computers; a company called RET3, base in Cleveland, recycles computers in August and April to
be refurbished and put back into public schools lacking computers within the northeast-Ohio region. Someone needs to organize the transportation department to
transport the computers to Mayfield Village (at 610 SOM Center Road) by calling Jim Baker (Hawken Maintainance) at (440) 423-2090 ext. 290. But firts call Mayfield
Village to see if they have any way of picking it up for us (tel. (440) 442- 5506). Check out http://www.cuyahogaswd.org/residents/comprec.asp for more info (the website
only mentions collection dates from this past August, but they also do drives in April).
•
• 2. Lots of people can help out in organizing a day of activities. Check out some educational programs at http://www.cuyahogaswd.org/education.htm, and look/call for any
programs for High School students. Call them and ask if they would be available for April 22, and then contact us so we can work out a schedule. Also look at activities
around Ohio Hawken can take part in at http://www.gcbl.org/event/2009/04/22/day. I in particular like the idea of shutting off Hawken's electricity for 1 houre (last on list) -
that would be cool to see! Also, Wooster looks like it will be holding a fun day if we can get Hawken there. Also look at http://www.gcbl.org/education/k-12-initiatives
•
• 3. Someone can design Hawken Earth Day T-shirts from organic cotton as a fundraiser, or if someone can find Earth Day T-shirts online that raise money for an
environmental cause, that is also a possibility. Tell us what you find.
•
• 4. Recycling should be a big part of the day. If someone can plan a location to set up for collecting recycleables, and then find/ connect with companies that will recycle
these products, we could do a good job of cleaning up Hawken! Please check attachments to see a list of all the places that recycle, and what they recycle. Some ideas
include recycling TVs via BestBuy, recycling powerbar wrappers by shipping them to Terracycle, and shipping CDs, casette tapes, and other random electronics to the
companies listed on the document. Shipping would cost money: so keep in mind, this means we need a way of generating it. If you need help organizing Hawken's
connection with these organizations (for example, who to sign the contracts) contact either me via email or Mr. Dlugosz.
•
• 5. Everyone needs to consider ways the Ecology Club can generate fundraising throughout the year so we can do some cool things for Earthday and recycle more things
that might need to be shipped. We will raise some money from selling T-shirts, but also think about bake sales and after-school events. Come up with any Crazy idea
you can think of! Possibly, we can do something in combination with Coffee house events.
•
• Some Good Starting Points: http://ww2.earthday.net/greeningschools and http://www.earthday.net/cleveland, and also look at attachments to see what other things
Hawken can do and who to contact to get them.
•
• I know this is a lot, but there is a lot to get done. The good thing is we have time. Just look at something you want to do, and send me an email about what you find out.
Thanks for all your good work, see you Tuesday,
• Seth