The Carton Council, a coalition of four leading carton manufacturers, came together with the premise of developing an education and infrastructure with regards to proper carton recycling techniques. In doing so, to boost sustainability efforts, they are offering a $5000 grant for K-12 schools in the United States and Canada for the purpose of enhancing or expanding existing carton recycling programs.
These grants can be put towards the purchasing of equipment for sorting and collecting cartons, forms of communications, signage, creating a “green team,” and more that coincides with the collection of cartons.
As the average school consumes an approximate 75000 cartons of food and beverage containers a year, only 10% of K-12 schools in the United States actually recycle them whereas in Canada, these cartons make up over 9% of waste that is sent from elementary schools to landfills. By committing to a more enhanced carton recycling program, schools can work on ensuring that these materials are properly recycled into new paper products or other building materials.
If your school is looking at implementing it’s own carton recycling program, Carton Council provides the following steps:
- Check availability of carton recycling
- Engage with school administration & staff
- Establish goals
- Develop program process
- Recruit advocates
- Launch the program
Applications are open for this grant up until May 31st, 2025. In order to be eligible, schools must contact their local waste service provider to confirm that they have access to carton recycling and receive the proper administrative approval prior to applying.
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