It’s that time of year again—end-of-school-year clean-out! As you begin to clean out your school lockers, classrooms, offices, etc., keep in mind these green tips for how to make the most of your stuff.

• Use your school’s paper recycling bins. A lot of what you may be throwing out is clean paper. Work with your school custodial staff to make sure the paper gets picked up frequently or pick a centralized drop-off area so the paper does not become a fire hazard.
• Collect & store school supplies to use next year. School supplies, such as half-used notebooks, pens, and pencils, don’t need to be thrown out. Collect, store and redistribute them to students for use next school year.
• Donate unwanted items to a local charity. Teach your students about charity and reduce waste by encouraging students to donate old clothes or items. Some charities that accept donations in the D.C. area are Salvation Army, Goodwill, and Interfaith Works Clothing Center.

Resources for locker clean outs are available online, such as StopWaste’s Locker Leftover Guide.

Shout out to Cardozo Education Campus (Ward 1) who will be our pilot school for the first documented and data-focused locker clean-out with the DCPS Recycles! program.