Houston ISD – Six School Pilot Program / Reduction Summary:
- ~$1million savings in Food Service budget thru the reduced cost of food trays
- 75% weekly waste stream reduction
- 100% recycling of Styrofoam waste
- 100% Styrofoam waste diversion from landfill
- Over 2 tons of CO2 diverted from atmosphere in just two months
- Augment to STEM programs focused on environmental stewardship, recycling, GHG/carbon foot reduction, and sustainability.
Houston-Galveston Area Council Source Reduction and Recycling Grant realizes huge returns from second largest school district in Texas.
With help from an H-GAC grant, the Houston Independent School District leads the way by making bold and substantive decisions in favor of student nutritional health, education, environmental stewardship, and fiscal responsibility. The implementation of StyroSmart Solutions Waste Reduction and Recycling Program has enabled the district to change from biodegradable food service trays back to Polystyrene foam trays, thus saving ~$1million in foodservice budget, while having significant reductions in districts waste stream. In just two months, the Houston ISD’s implementation of the StyroGenie into a six school pilot program has reduced the waste stream by ~75% as well as reduced waste dumpster removal pick-ups by 48 days over just an 8 week period, and diverted 100% of all foodservice foam waste from landfill. The six schools waste stream pre-implementation was ~100 garbage bags per day. Post-implementation has reduced waste to just 25 bags of garbage per day. The 48 day decrease of waste removal trucks driving to schools for dumpster pick-up equates to ~5,280 lbs of CO2 being diverted from environment, and since the trays will be recycled, there’s also 100% diversion from the landfill. Through this program, HISD has set an example by showing its commitment to the local community, to its children and their future, who in turn will have the opportunity to learn from an early age the importance and benefits of acting as responsible stewards in their communities and the larger world.
For more information:
StyroSmart Solutions, Inc.
800.351.8875
www.styrosmart.com
Visit us at NAFEM Booth#2853
Reported and released by HISD Media, the Media Relations Department of the Houston Independent School District.
