Pacific Union's Waste Task Force

Pacific Union believes in a community which takes care of our environment and each other. In 1989 we developed a Waste Task Force to help with our recycling on campus.

The following is a brief overview of how our Waste Task Force started, and how it has evolved over the last 14 years:

1989-1990: A board member, concerned parents, and teachers established Pacific Union's Waste Awareness Task Force.

1989: Lunchroom employee, Melody Boberg, begins recycling aluminum cans, and voluntarily picks up donated recyclables from Pacific Union families. She joins the Waste Task Force in 1990.

1990-1995: Started garden. Continued recycling of cardboard, lunchroom aluminum cans, and donations from families. Proceeds given to the music program, 8th grade class, 5th graders for Wolf Creek, purchase of classroom party boxes.

1995-1996: Collected trash bills in an effort to try to reduce costs. Changed trash bin to a larger one, diverted enough waste to save school over $3,100.00 in 1996.

1996-2004: Each year programs were added to include:

  1. Started monthly Community Recycle Day, offering 8 th graders an opportunity to earn Community Service Credit for graduation. Our recycling center is a City of Arcata designated center, with partners Arcata Garbage, Arcata Recycling Center, and Humboldt Sanitation.
  2. Offer mini grants, continue to support music program, offer contests, art projects, Trash Free Days, 8th grade essay contest, and support staff's waste awareness projects.
  3. Offer bins in Teachers' Room for recycling of paper, catalogs, magazines, and newspapers.
  4. Start program in the kitchen, recycling tin cans, cardboard, aluminum foil, plastic bags, and food waste.
  5. School-wide classroom recycling. Bins provided for all classrooms, library, computer lab, teacher's supply closet, and daycare. Mrs. Paul's 5th graders pick up recyclables on a daily basis.
  6. Cartridges for Kids Campaign Donated inkjet and laser cartridges, as well as used cell phones, sent to company in Colorado for recycling. Great program!
  7. Helped start similar programs at Sunset and Bloomfield Schools.
  8. Purchased reusable plates and cups for adult parties and school events such as Ag Day, the Spaghetti Feed, and Christmas Breakfast. Also purchased Adult Party Box for administration's use for visiting dignitaries.

In the future we hope to:

Continue all established programs, increase and update party boxes, contact book order companies in an effort to reduce the number of catalogs sent and wasted.

Our programs have been recognized with the following awards:

Many county awards for establishment of Waste Task Force; Community Recycling Center; published book for vermiculture created by Mr. Triska's class, which is used in schools statewide; and 7 th grade created brochure for City of Arcata, just to name a few. We were also recognized by the City of Arcata and the State of California for reducing our school's waste by 50% in 2001.