Recycling in LCPS

Please note - This page is for recycling within Loudoun County Public Schools.  If you are looking for recycling information within Loudoun County in general, please Click Here.  The LCPS procedures appear below: 

Recycling Program

Recycling of commonly used materials is a procedure adopted to help preserve our natural resources and reduce waste going to our County landfill.  Loudoun County Public Schools has been operating a recycling program since 1991.

Loudoun County Public Schools currently recycles the following commodities at all of our facilities:  cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, bi-metal cans, white and colored paper, newspaper, and fluorescent light tubes.  The Facilities Services Department and the Transportation Department also recycle used motor oil, anti-freeze and other various materials.  Click here for a complete list of acceptable and non-acceptable items that Loudoun County Public Schools recycles.

Responsibilities

Director of Facilities Services – Program Manager for the Recycling Program.  Responsible for establishing procedures, providing training and consultation for establishing or improving school recycling activities, developing recycling partnerships with private recycling companies, providing containers for collecting recyclable materials at schools and administrative facilities, providing for pick-up of recycling commodities at schools and administrative facilities.  Responsible for budgeting for annual recycling costs. 

Principals and Building Administrators – Responsible for implementing recycling program at their school or facility.  Responsible for insuring that recyclable commodities are collected in accordance with established procedures and are maintained in an uncontaminated state.  Coordinates training of students and staff with the program manager.

recycling truck

Collection Containers

The Facilities Services Department provides several different styles of containers for collecting recyclable material. 

Indoor Containers – Every school is provided a blue recycling container for each classroom and office space for collecting white and colored paper and newspaper.  Special recycling containers are provided and labeled for collection of aluminum cans and plastic bottles.

Exterior Containers – Exterior containers are primarily 6 cubic yard and 8 cubic yard dumpsters for consolidating recyclable material at a school.  The dumpsters are clearly labeled “Aluminum, Plastic, Bi-metal Cans, Paper and Cardboard” to designate the commodity to be deposited.  There are two styles of cardboard recycling containers.  The older style (old cardboard dumpster) looks like a normal dumpster and the top and side doors can be opened by the school.  The newer style (new cardboard dumpster) has a large horizontal opening in the front of the container, however, the top and side doors of these dumpsters cannot be opened by the school staff.  Special recycling containers for sporting events can be provided at the request of individual schools.

Procedures

The following procedures will be followed to ensure the orderly collection and disposal of recyclable material and to maximize the amount of material recycled.

Paper (white, colored and newspaper) will be collected in individual school classrooms and offices.  A designated recycling container will be placed in each classroom and office for students and staff to deposit paper to be recycled.  The custodians, other school staff, or students designated by the Principal will collect paper from the classrooms and offices.    The paper should be deposited directly into the recycling dumpster.

All cardboard boxes should be broken down so that they are flat and deposited in designated locations in the school by staff.  The custodians will collect the flattened cardboard boxes and deposit them in the cardboard dumpster.  It is essential that boxes be flattened before placing them in the recycling dumpster. 

Aluminum soda cans, bi-metal cans from food services, and all recyclable plastic containers will be recycled.  Each school and administrative facility will designate interior containers where these aluminum cans and plastics will be collected.  In high and middle schools there will be at least one aluminum/plastic recycling container in the cafeteria.  Daily, the custodians, other school staff, or students designated by the Principal will empty the recycling containers and deposit the recyclables into the recycling dumpster.

One large container will be placed in the kitchen of all schools for collecting recyclable plastic and metal food containers.  The containers will be washed or rinsed clean before being deposited in to the recycling container.  The recycling container will be emptied into the recycling dumpster by the kitchen staff.

The Loudoun County Public Schools Facilities Services Department will empty the dumpster(s) every few days.  If the dumpster(s) becomes full between pick-ups, the school should notify the Facilities Services Department at extension 22960 and a special, off-cycle pick up will be arranged.  The Facilities Services Department will transport the recyclables to the recycling agent’s facility.                                       

The school must be diligent in preventing contamination by trash, food waste or any other foreign material.  If recyclables are collected in plastic bags, they should be emptied from the plastic bags when they are deposited into the recycling container.  There should be no plastic bags in the recycling dumpster.  The recycling agent will not accept contaminated loads. 

Loudoun County Public Schools are recycling materials as single stream, where all items can be co-mingled into one dumpster and do not need to be separated.

Fluorescent Light Tubes

Facilities Services has implemented new procedures for recycling of fluorescent lamps and light bulbs at all schools and support facilities.  You will no longer receive special Lamp Tracker recycling boxes that were sent by UPS or Federal Express to our recycler.  The Department has purchased a new device that will crush lamps/bulbs at the Facilities Services building in Leesburg, VA, saving on cardboard, postal cost and eliminating the possibility of breakage during shipment.

The new procedures are: 1) Save your lamp boxes and place used/burned out lamps in the same box that the new ones were shipped and mark “RETURN” on the box; 2) Place that box in your custodial office; 3) When Facilities Services brings custodial supplies to your building, the delivery technician will pick up the old lamps and return them to Facilities Services for crushing and recycling. 

Any questions concerning this procedure, please call us at 571-252-2960.