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International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

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355<br />

� Green Homes: The Green Homes Programme aims to promote waste<br />

prevention and sustainable living in the homes <strong>of</strong> the schools children<br />

associated with the An Taisce Green Schools initiative as well as targeting the<br />

wider community.<br />

� Green Businesses: The aim <strong>of</strong> the Green Business initiative is to deliver<br />

substantive results and savings on resource efficiency; through waste<br />

prevention and minimisation and reduction in energy and water consumption.<br />

� LAPD: The LAPD Programme assists local authorities to design and implement<br />

local integrated waste prevention programmes and projects. This allows local<br />

authority staff to enable organisations including their own, to prevent waste<br />

from being produced.<br />

18.6.1 Environmental Benefits – Prevention<br />

Green Green Green Schools Schools<br />

Schools<br />

A Research study completed in 2001 entitled “The Performance <strong>of</strong> the Irish Green-<br />

Schools Research Programme”; the primary aim <strong>of</strong> this work was to quantify any<br />

reduction in waste to landfill achieved by the programme. The approach taken to the<br />

project was to undertake a comparative study <strong>of</strong> the schools undertaking the<br />

programme; these schools included Pre-Action Plan Schools, Post-Action Plan Schools<br />

and Awarded Green Schools (who have implemented the Seven Steps <strong>of</strong> the Green<br />

Schools Programme). The results are outlined in Table 18-1. The results indicate that<br />

a considerable waste to landfill reduction occurs during a school’s progress through<br />

the programme. This study revealed that schools that had been awarded the Green<br />

Flag were diverting on average <strong>of</strong> 45% more <strong>of</strong> their waste away from landfill in<br />

comparison to schools that were not participating in the programme. Several <strong>of</strong> the<br />

awarded schools were very close to achieving zero waste to landfill, with some<br />

producing as little as 2 grams <strong>of</strong> waste per person per day. 394<br />

This study illustrates that the Green Schools Programme is an important mechanism<br />

for preventing waste arisings.<br />

Table 18-1: Average <strong>Waste</strong> to Landfill Per Capita Values for the Three School Groups<br />

<strong>International</strong> <strong>Review</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Waste</strong> <strong>Policy</strong>: Annexes<br />

Pre-Action Plan Post-Action Plan Awarded<br />

<strong>Waste</strong> per capita per day 53.2g 37.9g 29.0g<br />

As part <strong>of</strong> the Green Schools Programme, schools monitor the quantity <strong>of</strong> waste<br />

produced; this results in both less waste being disposed <strong>of</strong> to landfill and less waste<br />

being produced in the first instance (waste prevention). This study revealed that<br />

monitoring was being undertaken by a number <strong>of</strong> methods. These included<br />

monitoring by weight, by volume, counting the number <strong>of</strong> bags or bins going to the<br />

landfill. From this study it was apparent that schools that monitored their waste<br />

394 Green Schools Handbook, Towards a Sustainable Lifestyle, An Taisce.

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