School District Learns to Turn Trash into Cash

Graceland University

An ongoing financial crisis at the Blue Springs School District was forcing the district to consider personnel cuts. This spurred the SIFE team at Graceland University to investigate ways to improve the district"s fiscal situation. They started by reviewing waste management practices. After conducting a thorough waste audit the team discovered there were several opportunities to improve efficiency and cost. They implemented processes that cut down on the amount of waste generated and they shifted the district to a free recycling system. To further encourage better waste practices in this area"s schools, the team also created videos and educational materials about going green. Due to these environmentally friendly upgrades, the school was able to save more than $20,000. But beyond increasing the budget and potentially saving jobs, the project made it possible to reduce overall waste by 10% and teach more than 14,000 students the importance of environmental sustainability. Due to the success of this effort at the Blue Springs School District and the growing need for this service in other areas, Graceland SIFE waste audits have become a continuing project. The team has refined this waste reduction model and is now regularly applying it to schools, businesses and homeowners in need of similar help.