Schools team up with local government to slash waste and cut costs
Primary schools in the region are partnering with the municipality and waste collector Avalex to reduce residual waste, save money, and teach students about sustainability. Families may also benefit as children bring home lessons on waste separation and circularity.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Partners | Municipality, Avalex, primary schools |
| Waste Types Collected | Paper, organic waste (GFT), plastic packaging (PMD) |
| Number of Schools Involved | 9 (initial participants) |
| Additional Initiatives | Lessons on waste reduction, separate waste bins, potential wormery |
| Cost Savings | Schools switch from commercial waste collectors to Avalex |
| Environmental Impact | Waste processed into new raw materials, reducing incineration |
| Signatories | Alderpersons Marcel Belt, Jeffrey Keus, Avalex project manager Virgil Grot |
| Focus | Early education on waste separation and circularity |
The municipality is responsible for local waste management policies and collaborates with organizations like Avalex to implement sustainable practices. By partnering with schools, it aims to foster long-term behavioral change in waste separation among younger generations and their families.
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Municipality, Avalex and schools collaborate to reduce residual waste
The municipality, Avalex and several primary schools are joining forces to reduce the amount of residual waste. Schools that wish to participate can now have their paper waste, organic waste (GFT) and plastic packaging (PMD) collected by Avalex. In addition, extra lessons will be provided to raise children’s awareness of the importance of proper waste separation. The focus on schools has been a deliberate choice. By teaching students at an early age about the importance of waste separation, they not only take this knowledge with them into the future but also into their homes. This encourages the entire family to improve their waste separation practices. Today, alderpersons Marcel Belt and Jeffrey Keus, Avalex project manager Virgil Grot, and directors of nine primary schools signed an agreement.
Municipality, Avalex and schools work together to reduce residual waste
Currently, many schools still use commercial waste collectors, which sometimes combine different types of waste and incinerate everything as residual waste. This is not only unnecessarily expensive but also harmful to the environment. That is why schools can now have their paper waste, organic waste and plastic packaging collected by Avalex. Avalex ensures that these types of waste are processed into new raw materials.
The schools will provide lessons on waste reduction, waste separation and circularity. Through the municipality, schools can also receive separate waste bins to improve waste separation on school premises. Additionally, it is being explored whether schools can receive a wormery. This would allow students to turn fruit and vegetable peels into compost themselves.
Nine schools have already indicated their willingness to participate. Alderperson Marcel Belt (Environment and Waste): “With this collaboration, we are not only helping schools save costs but, above all, taking a major step towards a more sustainable future. By properly separating waste and involving students in the process, we show from an early age how to handle materials and resources in an economical and environmentally conscious way.”
Alderperson Jeffrey Keus (Education): “I am pleased that so many schools are already participating and that there is room in the curricula for social themes such as waste and resources. After all, what is learned young is done old.”