2001 Trash Cutter Awards Program Case Studies

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works:
Best Public Information Program

• Program Description
• Program Summary
• Benefits
• Contact

Program Description

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Generation Earth Program creates exciting and innovative educational opportunities for Los Angeles County teenagers to make a difference in their schools, local communities, and the environment. The secondary school students targeted by Generation Earth participate in hands-on projects to learn personal responsibility and recognize their influence in shaping the environment. The Battle of the Schools Waste Reduction Competition is one of the many service-learning projects sponsored by Generation Earth that empowers Los Angeles County middle and high school students to participate in waste reduction planning and implementation strategies.

Program Summary

The Battle of the Schools is a countywide waste reduction contest designed to increase awareness and encourage students to take action on their campuses. During the 2000 competition, students learned about legislation that directly affects their cities and schools, waste and water pollution issues, the impact of waste in Los Angeles County, and how to reduce waste on campus and in their everyday lives.

The event was promoted to all secondary schools throughout the county. Each participating school received a Battle of the Schools Action Kit complete with strategies for planning, troubleshooting, implementing, and promoting a school waste prevention and recycling program. Generation Earth staff aided participating schools by providing the Battle of the Schools classroom presentations and technical assistance in performing waste audits and networking with city recycling coordinators and industry leaders. In addition to the Battle of the Schools Action Kit, each school also received a variety of other educational and promotional materials.

To establish a clear understanding of where the school was starting from, each school was required to perform a campus waste audit. During the audit, students identified the type and volume of waste materials and researched garbage collection, contracts, frequency of collection, and associated fees. They targeted cafeterias, classrooms, offices, and other areas to determine their schools’ needs.

Following guidelines in the Battle of the Schools Action Kit, students were encouraged to be creative in preparing written plans consisting of goals, objectives, and logistics for developing and implementing a school waste reduction program. Students worked with school administrators, faculty advisors, teachers, plant managers, waste haulers, and other students to ensure success.

A local radio station top-rated with teenagers launched the competition with a 39-day airwaves campaign that encouraged listeners to call the competition hotline and learn how to participate. More than 70 schools requested the Battle of the Schools Action Kits.

Benefits

The top two schools collected a total of 12 tons of paper, cardboard, newspaper, plastic, and aluminum. Students from one of those schools reduced waste by more than 16 bins in one month; established a permanent glass, plastic, and aluminum recycling program and a paper recovery program; and participated in the “LA Speaks” program on the promoting radio station to encourage other campuses to make waste reduction a top priority.

For Further Information Contact:

Los Angeles County
900 South Fremont Ave.
Alhambra, CA 91803-1331
(626) 458-4093