The 2011 California K-12 Schools Recycling Challenge ran from October 17, 2011 through November 12, 2011.

Eligibility

California K-12 Schools Recycling Challenge is open to all public K-12 schools and districts as well as private and or Charter Schools in California.  Individual classrooms may participate in the Benchmark Division only. Colleges, universities and non-academic institutions are not eligible to participate.

How to Participate

Register: To compete in the California K-12 Schools Recycling Challenge schools must complete the online registration form. 

Report Results Weekly: Schools must enter their numbers weekly using the online competition reporting form.

Participation Categories

California K-12 Schools Recycling Challenge is made up of four primary competitions, as well as five targeted material competitions. Participating schools are automatically included in each category for which recycling and trash data are provided. Schools that participate in recycling programs that combine all materials in collection bin for Single Stream Mixed Recycling may also participate.

Grand Champion
The Grand Champion category combines trash and core recyclable materials to determine an individual school or school district’s recycling rate as a percentage of its overall waste generation. Successful school districts in this category demonstrate their achievement in both waste reduction and recycling.

School’s Per Capita
Individual schools compete to see which can collect the largest combined amount of paper, cardboard, CRV Beverage Containers, and or Mixed Recyclables per person.

Blue Whale
This category recognizes the larger schools or districts that recycle the highest gross tonnage of combined paper, cardboard, CRV Beverage Containers, and or Mixed Recyclables during the four week long competition, regardless of campus population.

Targeted Materials
In addition to the three primary competitions, schools may compete in five targeted material categories including Paper, Corrugated Cardboard, CRV Beverage Containers, Food Service Organics and Expanded Polystyrene Foam.

Waste Minimization (NEW PARTICIPATION CATEGORY) 
This category focuses on overall waste reduction instead of recycling. Schools compete to see which produces the least amount of municipal solid waste (both recyclables and trash) per person. This competition is intended to reward those schools that generate the least amount of combined waste and recyclables, emphasizing reuse and source reduction over recycling.  This competition is the most complex of the five and will most likely involve a more advanced educational campaign, teaching the campus community to cut waste by placing less emphasis on recycling and more focus on reuse and reduction.  Successful school districts in this category demonstrate their achievement in both waste reduction and recycling. 

Divisions

California K-12 Schools Recycling Challenge is separated into two divisions, the Competition Division and Benchmark Division. Individual schools and districts may choose to register for either based on eligibility requirements described above, and the school's ability to meet division standards. The same eight categories are included in both divisions.

Competition Division

The Competition Division constitutes the official competition and posted rankings. Only schools in the Competition Division are shown in the weekly results or are eligible to win a given category. Upon registering, each school is automatically assigned its own Profile Page (found from the list of schools on the "Participating Schools" sidebar), which lists campus information and the school's ongoing results in several ranking formats. To participate in the Competition Division, schools must meet the following three requirements:

Participate with their entire campus or district*

Be able to track and report data according to the standards outlined below.

Have the official contact person responsible for reporting weights and submit supporting documentation such as weight tickets or hauler reports via fax.

Benchmark Division

The Benchmark Division is less formal and does not include placement in the official rankings or eligibility to win any categories. Benchmark schools report their recycling and trash data, but are in every other respect unregulated in how they choose to participate. Benchmark schools may choose to include only a single classroom, and are not bound by the tracking and reporting standards. Benchmark schools otherwise enjoy all the rights have access to all promotional resources available through the competition.

Though Benchmark schools do not have their results included in the official rankings, they do have the ability to view their weekly progress in relation to other schools on their Profile Page. Benchmark schools are encouraged to promote their achievements to their campus and local communities in general terms but may not claim an official standing in the competitions.

Measuring and Reporting

Recycling data will be reported in pounds, except for the special category of Expanded Polystyrene Foam. Weights will be tracked on a weekly basis (Monday–Sunday) and reported by Friday of the following week. Only trash and recycling generated by the school may be counted.  Outside sources such as public drop-off materials are not permitted. 

For the weekly ranking component of the Waste Minimization competition, the results are calculated by taking the volume of acceptable recyclables and adding it to the volume of trash and dividing this number with the population figure.

The following six categories of recyclable materials will be included in the 2011 California K-12 School Recycling Challenge:

1. Paper:

Boxboard / chipboard (cereal boxes)

Catalogs

Hard and softbound books

Junk mail

Magazines

Newspaper

School or office paper (all colors)

Books

2. Corrugated Cardboard:

Cardboard boxes

3. California Refund Value (CRV) Containers:

Includes any of the following liquid, ready-to-drink products in glass, plastic, aluminum, or bi-metal containers you would find on at your school:

Carbonated and noncarbonated water, soda and mineral water

Carbonated and noncarbonated soft drinks and sport drinks

Carbonated and noncarbonated fruit drinks that contain any percentage of fruit juice

Coffee and tea drinks

Vegetable juice (16 ounces and under only)

4. Mixed Recyclable Materials:

Any of the materials listed under Paper, CRV, Corrugated Cardboard and other materials such as non CRV containers and plastic items labeled 1-7 allowed in your local mixed single stream-recycling containers.  Please refer to your school recycling coordinator or recycling service provider for more information about what can be recycled in your school program.

5. Food Service Organics:

Pre and post-consumer food waste that is composted

Compostable service ware, napkins, etc. that is composted

6. Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Foam:

Schools that utilize EPS food lunch trays that are participating in a take back recycling program with their supplier or who can recycle their EPS food lunch trays in their mixed recyclables can participate in this category.  Measurement with be based on the number of cases of trays recycled compared to the number of cases purchased.

Measurement

Actual weights of recyclables should always be used. If actually weights are impossible to obtain, weight estimates derived from volume measurements may be substituted using the following guidelines:

Volume-to-weight conversions must be done using standard conversion factors provided by US EPA.  Click here for a pdf chart. 

Volume estimates must be based on actual observed quantities. For instance, a five yard dumpster of cardboard must be observed to be full, or a visual determination of how full it is must be made. Simply reporting based on capacity of the container without observed quantities is not allowed.

Population

The per capita results for the categories are determined by dividing a school's weekly recycling and trash weights by its student, staff and faculty population. California K-12 Schools Recycling Challenge uses population data compiled by the Educational Data Partnership for California K-12 Public Schools to determine a standardized full time equivalent (FTE) number for schools participating with their entire campus and participating school districts. When you register make sure the use the standardized information for the number of students, staff and faculty.  Benchmark Division schools that choose to limit their scope of participation to a section of campus such as one or two classrooms or the cafeteria and will be expected to research and provide an FTE number for the subsection from which recycling and trash data will be tracked. For further explanation about determining your FTE populations, click here.