Cleaner Bins in Cranbrook Schools

Almost 1500 elementary students and 100 staff from seven Cranbrook elementary schools participated in Wildsight's Clean Bin Project. The students took a very close look at the waste at their schools, and challenged themselves to reduce it for a week. Project coordinator, Skye McDougall, said that the results were fantastic.

“Every school was successful in reducing waste,” she said.

After watching The Clean Bin Project, a movie that tells the tale of a Vancouver couple who challenged themselves to produce no waste for a year, the staff and students put their heads together with McDougall to brainstorm how they too, could reduce their garbage. They studied a day's worth of garbage - its weight and the number of bags filled - and then dissected it. A mucky job, but the participants enthusiastically conducted their waste audit to separate items into compost, recycling, and garbage. Everyone then discussed options for reducing waste at their school and why they should be thinking about it. 

“The kids were geared up and ready to begin their week-long challenge,” said McDougall. “Each class had a bucket provided for compost, and staff and students were keen to begin.”

Earth Machine Composters, donated in partnership from RDEK and Wildsight, were set up at four schools, and McDougall was impressed to see that three schools already had compost programs running. She said that composting dramatically reduces the amount of trash and subsequently, the amount of methane created from organic waste in the landfill.

During the week, students and staff really stepped up to the challenge. They encouraged each other to bring waste-free lunches and use reusable containers rather than Ziploc bags or plastic wrap, and bring reusable drink containers instead of juice boxes, bottles or cans.

“I returned to the schools at the end of the challenge week for an assembly to celebrate the successes of the project,” said McDougall. “The kids were excited to find out if their efforts had made a difference - custodians kept the garbage from the day before for comparison with the initial weigh-in.”

McDougall said that the results were incredible.

“Every school was successful in reducing waste. Results ranged from over two kilograms (5 pounds)  to almost 5 kilograms (11 pounds),” said McDougall, “and that’s per day, so this means that schools reduced their garbage between 10 to 25 per cent, which is an amazing effort.”

McDougall said that kudos goes to the following Cranbrook schools:

• Kootenay Orchards
• Amy Woodland
• Kootenay Christian Academy
• Highlands
• Gordon Terrace
• Steeples
• TM Roberts
• Boys and Girls Club