Republic Services pitches free school recycling curriculum to Fountain Hills board
November 16, 2023 | Fountain Hills Unified School, School Districts, Arizona
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Michael Roldan, municipal manager for Republic Services, presented a proposal to start or expand recycling programs inside Fountain Hills classrooms, describing educational campaigns, student-led teams, in-class cardboard tubs and periodic collection by Republic Services.
Roldan said the company can provide lesson materials, training and support to integrate recycling into classrooms and suggested assemblies, competitions and art projects to engage students. He told the board the company is working with the Arizona Department of Education on a certification effort and said the program’s initial implementation would focus on paper, cardboard and select grades of plastic, while glass is not prioritized because of processing limitations.
On costs, the presenter said there would be no direct fee charged to schools for participation; Republic would provide materials and could schedule collections at a frequency the district chose. Roldan also displayed example facility metrics in a video and said some facilities process as much as “up to 40 tons an hour” and occupy roughly 51,000 square feet (the video example was from an out-of-state facility and presenters noted their local facility differs in scale).
Board members asked logistical questions — whether classroom boxes can be swapped out if they fill before the next pickup, how custodial staff would interface with collection, and whether grants might be available to support program rollout. Republic said it can supply liners, perform collections, and is exploring certification and grant opportunities through education partners.
What’s next: The board asked the presenter to send the presentation materials to board staff for distribution to board members and to provide cost and operational details for the district’s consideration.
Roldan said the company can provide lesson materials, training and support to integrate recycling into classrooms and suggested assemblies, competitions and art projects to engage students. He told the board the company is working with the Arizona Department of Education on a certification effort and said the program’s initial implementation would focus on paper, cardboard and select grades of plastic, while glass is not prioritized because of processing limitations.
On costs, the presenter said there would be no direct fee charged to schools for participation; Republic would provide materials and could schedule collections at a frequency the district chose. Roldan also displayed example facility metrics in a video and said some facilities process as much as “up to 40 tons an hour” and occupy roughly 51,000 square feet (the video example was from an out-of-state facility and presenters noted their local facility differs in scale).
Board members asked logistical questions — whether classroom boxes can be swapped out if they fill before the next pickup, how custodial staff would interface with collection, and whether grants might be available to support program rollout. Republic said it can supply liners, perform collections, and is exploring certification and grant opportunities through education partners.
What’s next: The board asked the presenter to send the presentation materials to board staff for distribution to board members and to provide cost and operational details for the district’s consideration.
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