How to Publicize a School Recycling Program

Environmentally Friendly Ways to Advertise a TerraCycle Brigade

Aug 8, 2009 Genna Cockerham

Schools can publicize their TerraCycle brigade recycling programs using environmentally friendly methods that don't create additional paper waste.

When starting a school recycling program, administrators and coordinators don’t need to cover the school hallways in posters to get the message out. Instead of turning to posters to publicize the start of a TerraCycle brigade at school, use word of mouth, electronic media, the local newspaper and existing sources of communication between the school and the children’s parents. Using multiple means of publicizing the recycling program will ensure that students, parents and the community are aware of the effort to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Advertise a School Recycling Program

Word of mouth is the easiest way to advertise the creation or expansion of a TerraCycle brigade with students at a school. There are several ways to spread the word that the school will be able to recycle juice drink pouches, candy wrappers, chip bags, cell phones, yogurt cups, energy bar wrappers, bottles, cookie wrappers or corks. If the school started their recycling program with a small pilot program, the students involved can form teams and go to different classrooms to publicize the program.

There are ways to notify the entire student body at once. Selected students may make a skit to show on the school’s morning news program, where available. TerraCycle brigade coordinators can add information to the school’s afternoon announcements or a well-spoken child can be chosen to read the message. An erasable chalkboard or whiteboard can be set up in the school cafeteria with program reminders, updates and other information.

Coordinators of a Drink Pouch Brigade must remember not to include brand names on information about the school recycling program for two reasons. TerraCycle accepts all brands of drink pouches and Kraft Foods Inc. (maker of Capri Sun and Kool-Aid drink pouches) has a pledge not to advertise or market in schools.

Inform Parents about Recycling Materials

Although the students will likely be excited about the TerraCycle brigade program and want to tell their parents about it, the program coordinator should plan on contacting parents directly to announce the fact that the school will start to recycle juice drink pouches or other items. Since many different TerraCycle brigades can be created to support the same charity or school, parents may want to form their own brigade with their house of worship or other organizations.

While coordinators can send letters home to all the parents in the school, there are ways to reduce waste and still advertise the school recycling program. Many schools have a weekly class newsletter that goes home to parents. Consider adding information about the recycling program to an existing newsletter or have children write a letter to their parents for writing practice.

In schools where there is a lot of parent/teacher communication via email, teachers can send emails to alert parents that the school will be recycling materials. Don’t forget to announce details and updates at PTA meetings. Information can be added to the school’s website so anyone with questions like, “What is a TerraCycle Drink Pouch Brigade?” can be referred directly to the information.

Community Support for a Recycling Program

Don’t forget to tell the community about the creation of the school’s recycling program. Students can write letters to the editor of the local newspaper to encourage environmental awareness and promote recycling while sharing details of their TerraCycle brigade. Have a team of students approach the community newspaper with a request to have details about the reduce, reuse, recycle program placed on the newspaper’s website to spread the word about the recycling program.

There are many ways to publicize a school’s participation in a TerraCycle brigade without using posters. Word of mouth, email and existing forms of communication between the school and parents can be used to advertise a school recycling program. Get children involved in the advertising effort by having them write letters to encourage their parents and the local community to reduce, reuse and recycle.

The copyright of the article How to Publicize a School Recycling Program in Green/Simple Living is owned by Genna Cockerham. Permission to republish How to Publicize a School Recycling Program in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Teach Students to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle	Find Environmentally Friendly Ways to Advertise	Advertise a TerraCycle Drink Pouch Brigade
Publicize a School Recycling Program	Tell the Community to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle