Guide to Completing the Application Form for the Green Flag Litter and Waste Theme

September 2011

Introduction
This Application Form is designed to be straightforward for schools to use. The answers to the 18 questions will allow our assessors to get a clear and concise description of your Green-Schools Programme. As with all application forms, please take the time to read each question carefully. This guide will give you an indication of what is expected from each answer. Remember, you will be visited by either a Green-Schools or Local Authority Officer after your Application Form has been submitted and this visit will allow you to display all your hard work and discuss any issues you may have.

Checklist:
Please ensure you have all points on the initial checklist completed before applying for your GreenSchools flag;

Your school is registered with An Taisces Green-Schools programme You have been working on the Green-Schools programme for more than one school year You have completed all 7 steps of the Green-Schools programme You have completed an Environmental Review for the Litter and Waste theme You have a current Action Plan, with future targets

www.greenschoolsireland.org

Guidance on the 18 Questions: Step 1: Green-Schools Committee

1. Who sits on your Green-Schools committee? (Please list each member and detail who they are i.e. 4th class pupil, 2nd year student, coordinator, teacher, parent etc) For this question, please outline who sits on your Green-Schools committee. Please list the names of each member and who they are within the school community i.e. 4th class student, 2nd year teacher, parent, caretaker, local Tidy Towns member etc. Please describe how your committee was formed, for example, was the committee chosen by the Green-Schools coordinator, was an election held, etc. Outline how decisions made at meetings are disseminated to the school body. If you have classes or year groups not directly represented on the committee (e.g. junior infants, 6th Year students), describe how they are informed about what is discussed at Green-Schools committee meetings. 2. How often does your committee meet? Please select which option best describes how regularly your committee meets. If selecting Other, please give a short description of how regularly you meet. 3. Please include an example of minutes taken from one of your Green-Schools committee meetings: Please type an example of minutes taken from one of your Green-School Committee meetings into the space provided. If you have an example of minutes already saved on your computer in a different file, you can simply attach the file to the email that you submitting your application form in. Alternatively, you can either: Take a clear picture of the minutes and save the .jpeg file to your computer and attach it to the email; Print out the completed application form and include an example of minutes which can then be posted to our Dublin office.

www.greenschoolsireland.org

Step 2: Environmental Review

The environmental review on the form mirrors the suggestions given in the Green-Schools resources. It is necessary that you conduct a thorough Environmental Review so you are properly informed of the situation, in regards to Litter and Waste, in your school before working on the Green-Schools programme. Please fill out both the Waste Review section and the Litter Review section of the form Litter Review 4. For your Litter Review, did you conduct any of the following? Please indicate the type of Litter Review carried out in your school by ticking the relevant boxes. The first two actions on the list are essential actions. Both of these must be carried out as part of your litter review. Information regarding all actions can be found on in the Litter and Waste resources. It is also advisable to conduct other actions listed in the application form as these actions will all play an important role in increasing awareness in the school and local community of litter and waste issues. If you have carried out a Litter Review that is not listed please tick the box opposite Other and provide details of this review in the space provided. You can find guidance on conducting a Litter Review in the Litter and Waste resources. Waste Review 5. When was your initial Green-Schools Environmental Review carried out? Please insert the month and year when your environmental review was carried out as indicated. 6. For your Waste Review, did you conduct any of the following? It is essential that you complete the first three actions (essential actions) and establish the amount of waste your school is producing before beginning work on the programme. Guidance for these actions is provided in the Litter and Waste resources. The recommended actions are optional; however Green-Schools are encouraged to carry out some or all of these actions. Please indicate which actions from the list you have completed by ticking the relevant accompanying boxes. If you have carried out any other activities/actions as part of your review that is not indicated on the list please give a short description in the field entitled Other.

www.greenschoolsireland.org

7. Please give details of the amount of waste your school was generating when you began working on the programme: For this question, you are asked to provide the quantities of waste being generated in your school when you began working on the programme. It is important to note these figures before working on the programme in order to set realistic targets for reduction of school landfill waste and for increasing recycling and composting levels. The school waste can be noted in weight, bins, bags or cost (bills). Please note that if you are counting the number of bins being collected from your school it is important to indicate the size of the bins in use in your school, i.e. 120L, 240L. See example below:

Period for which waste consumption was measured e.g. 2/9/11 2/10/11) 2/9/11 2/10/11 2/9/11-9/11/11 2/9/11 2/10/11

Type of Waste (General Waste/Recycling /Composting)

Amount (kg/bags/bins 120L/240L/1110L etc.)

Cost (Euros)

General Waste Composting Recycling

4 Bins (240L) Nil 2 Bins (240L)

100

8. What were the main findings of your Environmental Review (e.g. levels of awareness, etc) Please give a brief recap of the findings from your Waste Review and Litter Review in the space provided. For example, what types of waste were the most common in the school, what levels of recycling were being conducted, etc.

www.greenschoolsireland.org

Step 3: Action Plan

9. Please type your Action Plan in below: Alternatively you can attach your Action Plan to the same email you are submitting this form with. Your Action Plan should be in a table format that outlines; a description of the action; the person/group responsible; the deadline for the action to be achieved; and the status of the action. The Action Plan should span from the date you began your Green Schools programme to when you sent your Green-Schools application in, as well as future actions to be achieved. Please Note: It is important that your action plan is made up of future targets and is not just a list of work carried out in your school If you have your Action Plan saved on the computer you are completing the Application Form on, you can attach your Action Plan to the same email that you are submitting the Application Form with. If your Action Plan is hand-written you can either: Top Tip It is important to set quantifiable targets when and where possible in your Action Plan, e.g. 25% reduction in waste to landfill in 6 months, 10% reduction in volume of recyclables through prevention and minimisation actions within 6 months, maintain the almost litter-free status on a month-by-month basis etc. By setting out such targets it allows you to determine exactly how far you have come to achieving your goals when it comes to monitoring and evaluating (e.g. reduced landfill waste from 90% to 60% in 6 months). Type the Action Plan into the table provided; Take a clear picture(s) of the Action Plan and save the jpeg file(s) to your computer and attach those to the email; Print out the completed application form and include your Action Plan which can then be posted to our Dublin office.

www.greenschoolsireland.org

Step 4: Monitoring and Evaluation

10. Describe how you monitor and evaluate the progress of the Litter and Waste theme: Please outline what methodologies you use to monitor and evaluate your progress on the Litter and Waste theme, for example; regularly checking bins, recording levels of waste being sent to landfill/recycled/composted, establishing a litter rota/litter wardens/bins wardens etc.

11. Please give details of the amount of waste your school was generating today, i.e. the results of your programme: Please provide the most recent figures you have for your school. Please fill out the table provided in Question 11 in the same way as you done so for Question 6, using the same timeframe (monthly, weekly, etc) if possible. See example below:

Period for which waste consumption was measured e.g. 2/9/11 2/10/11) 2/9/11 2/10/11 2/9/119/11/11 2/9/11 2/10/11

Type of Waste (General Waste/Recycling /Composting)

Amount (kg/bags/bins 120L/240L/1110 L etc.)

Cost (Euros)

General Waste Composting Recycling

2 Bins (240L) Nil 4 Bins (240L)

70

www.greenschoolsireland.org

Step 5: Curriculum Links

12. Please give the numbers and ages of students involved in curriculum work and information on the topic or subject areas addressed: Please fill out the information requested on the form provided. Please ensure details of work done by all class groups are provided. Subject Maths Art Class Group 2nd class 1st Year Environmental Issue Covered Bar charts created to show the reduction in waste being sent to landfill consumption. Students created posters and signs to increase awareness of the recycling in the school.

Step 6: Informing and Involving

13. How is the whole school community informed of, and involved in, all aspects of the GreenSchools programme? Please describe how the whole school community is made aware of the Green-Schools programme and what methodologies were used, for example; newsletters, website, announcements, open days, etc. 14. Describe your Day of Action: Please provide us with details of your Action Day, e.g. what date you held the Action Day, what were the aims of the day, who was involved, what were the outcomes, etc. You can find ideas for Action Days in the Litter and Waste resources as well as in the case studies section of the website. 15. Please describe any contacts made with the wider community (for e.g. using outside help, involving parents, publicity gained, industry links, speakers, etc) Please use the area provided to indicate the links the school has made with the wider community while taking part in the Green-Schools projects. These links may have been made through school tours, guest speakers, members on your committee, communication with parents or activities the school has taken part in.

www.greenschoolsireland.org

Step 7: Green Code

16. Please reproduce your schools Green Code : Please insert your Green Code into the box provided. The Green Code should be relevant to your school and the Litter and Waste theme. The Green Code should be known by the whole school and displayed in the school. 17. Describe how the Green Code was agreed and how it has been integrated into school life: Please indicate how you came up with your Green Code and how the whole school has been made aware of the Green Code.

Feedback
18. Would you like to highlight any positive or negative aspects you encountered while working on the programme? Please use this section to outline your experience with the Green-Schools programme. Have you experienced and benefits as a results of the programme, did you experience any difficulties? Did you find the resources useful?

www.greenschoolsireland.org

Before you send us your application:

1. Please ensure all sections of this form are filled in fully and correctly 2. Please ensure you have included: a. An example of minutes from one of your Green-Schools committee meetings b. Your Action Plan

Remember you will have the opportunity to display all additional work to the Green-Schools Assessor when they visit the school.

Please email the application to [email protected]

Green-Schools Ireland Unit 5A Swifts Alley Francis Street Dublin 8 01-4002202 [email protected]

www.greenschoolsireland.org