School Recycling and Composting Resources
Managing Materials Sustainably in Connecticut
Managing waste and materials from your school is much broader than collecting paper, bottles and cans for recycling. To have a strong sustainable program that is fiscally responsible and environmentally sound administrators, facility staff, teachers, students and their parents should be involved in creating programs that are engaging and easy to maintain.
Recycling, It’s the Law: Recycling has been mandatory in Connecticut for many items and has been in effect since January 1, 1991, with additional materials added in 2012. Schools are not exempt. Review CT Mandatory Recycling to learn more about items required to be collecting for recycling in Connecticut.
Food Scraps Law: In 2024, Connecticut passed a law which states if a school building (public, private, religious, charter or boarding school) generates more than 26 tons per year of food scraps (incl. cafeteria, culinary program, school kitchen) and is within 20 miles of an authorized composting facility you must collect food scraps for composting starting July 1, 2026.
School Recycling and Composting Tool Kit
- Your School is Legally Required to … Recycle, Compost, and more
- How to Set Up a Recycling Program at Your School (incl. information about contracts, bins, forming a green team)
- Managing School Cafeteria Waste (incl. food sharing tables, donating surplus food, collecting food scraps, how to conduct a waste sort and alternatives to single use) - coming soon
- Program Kick-off ideas (incl. presentation templates, trivia game, and more) - coming soon
- Non-mandatory Recycling Project Ideas (incl. fundraising ideas) - coming soon
- Classroom Activities & Resources - coming soon
- Environmental Speakers and Performers
- Inspirational Quotes
- Fun Factoids
Waste and Materials Often Generated in Schools
In Connecticut, recycling is state law! This means everyone must recycle including all public, private, religious, charter and boarding schools. If your school buildings generate these items, they must be collected for recycling or properly disposed.
|
Item/Material |
Mandatory |
Where generated? |
How best to manage – link to additional information |
|
Aluminum cans |
Yes |
Kitchen, cafeteria, teachers room, classrooms |
If part of the CT bottle bill/redemption program with a 10 cent deposit, return for your dime; can also acceptable in CT’s mixed (single stream) recycling program. Learn more about What’s IN, What’s OUT at RecycleCT. |
|
Batteries - Automotive |
Yes |
Facility’s garage, automotive class |
What Do I Do With – Batteries, Automotive |
|
Batteries – Household Batteries |
No |
Classrooms, teacher’s lounge, administrative offices |
|
|
Batteries – Rechargeable, Ni-Cd, Lithium Ion, Small sealed lead-acid Batteries |
Yes |
Facility’s office, classrooms, teacher’s lounge, administrative offices |
Recycling Rechargeable Batteries
|
| Recycling Bins and Dumpsters | How to Set Up a Recycling Program at Your School (incl. information about contracts, bins, forming a green team) | ||
|
Books |
No |
Library, end of school year |
What Do I Do With – Books and Textbooks |
|
Bottle Caps |
No |
|
Loose bottle caps not accepted in CT’s Mixed Recycling (single stream) program. Learn more about What’s IN, What’s OUT at RecycleCT. |
|
Box board (cereal boxes) |
Yes |
Kitchen, cafeteria, teachers room |
Accepted in CT’s Mixed Recycling (single stream) program. Learn more about What’s IN, What’s OUT at RecycleCT. |
|
Cafeteria Waste |
|
Cafeteria |
|
|
Candy Wrappers |
No |
|
Wrappers are not accepted in CT’s Mixed Recycling (single stream) program. Learn more about What’s IN, What’s OUT at RecycleCT. Additional information: What Do I Do With |
|
Cardboard |
Yes |
Administration offices, facility spaces, kitchen |
Accepted in CT’s Mixed Recycling (single stream) program. Should be flattened. Learn more about What’s IN, What’s OUT at RecycleCT. |
|
Chemicals from Chemistry Lab; Photography Class |
|
|
Pollution Prevention Assistance for Schools and Universities Find out how to limit exposure, prevent accidents and dispose of lab and cleaning chemicals properly. |
|
Classroom Activities |
|
|
Coming Soon! |
| Cleaning Products - environmentally preferred cleaning products |
Yes |
Green Cleaning Learn about the law requiring green cleaning programs in schools. Find environmentally preferable cleaning products and how to clean and sanitize kitchen areas and equipment. |
|
|
Composting Food Scraps |
Yes* |
|
Managing School Cafeteria Waste (incl. food sharing tables, donating surplus food, collecting food scraps, how to conduct a waste sort and alternatives to single use) |
|
Contracts, contracting with waste, recycling and food scrap haulers |
|
|
|
|
Crayons |
No |
|
|
|
Culinary Classrooms |
|
|
Managing School Cafeteria Waste (incl. food sharing tables, donating surplus food, collecting food scraps, how to conduct a waste sort and alternatives to single use) |
|
Donating excess food from the kitchen or cafeteria |
|
|
Managing School Cafeteria Waste (incl. food sharing tables, donating surplus food, collecting food scraps, how to conduct a waste sort and alternatives to single use) |
|
Dumpsters and Bins |
|
|
|
|
Electronics |
Yes |
|
Coming Soon |
| Fluorescent lamps & bulbs | Yes | Fluorescent Lamp Recycling Facilities | |
|
Food from Kitchen uneaten/unopened |
No |
Cafeteria |
Managing School Cafeteria Waste (incl. food sharing tables, donating surplus food, collecting food scraps, how to conduct a waste sort and alternatives to single use) |
|
Food from Cafeteria |
Yes* |
Kitchen |
Managing School Cafeteria Waste (incl. food sharing tables, donating surplus food, collecting food scraps, how to conduct a waste sort and alternatives to single use) |
|
Food from Culinary Classroom |
Yes* |
Culinary Arts program |
Managing School Cafeteria Waste (incl. food sharing tables, donating surplus food, collecting food scraps, how to conduct a waste sort and alternatives to single use) |
|
Food scraps – Organics Recycling Law |
Yes* |
Kitchen, cafeteria, teachers room, culinary arts program |
Managing School Cafeteria Waste (incl. food sharing tables, donating surplus food, collecting food scraps, how to conduct a waste sort and alternatives to single use) |
|
Funding, fundraising ideas |
|
|
Coming Soon |
|
Glass bottles & jars |
Yes |
Kitchen, cafeteria, teachers’ room |
If part of the CT bottle bill/redemption program with a 10 cent deposit, return for your dime; can also acceptable in CT’s mixed (single stream) recycling program. Learn more about What’s IN, What’s OUT at RecycleCT. |
|
Green Team |
|
|
|
| Hazardous chemicals (pesticides, chem lab chemicals) | Yes | Pollution Prevention Assistance for Schools and Universities | |
|
How to Create a School Recycling Program |
|
|
|
|
Paper, office paper, junk mail, newspapers, magazines, circulars, flyers |
Yes |
Administration offices, classrooms, teachers’ room, library |
Accepted in CT’s mixed (single stream) recycling program. Learn more about What’s IN, What’s OUT at RecycleCT. Confidential/shredded paper should be collected and recycled separately – not accepted in CT’s mixed (single stream) recycling program. |
|
Plastic bottles, jars, jugs and tubs |
Yes/No |
|
If part of the CT bottle bill/redemption program with a 10 cent deposit, return for your dime; most plastic containers also acceptable in CT’s mixed (single stream) recycling program (black plastic and Styrofoam containers are not accepted). Learn more about What’s IN, What’s OUT at RecycleCT |
| Landscaping Practices | Yes | Pollution Prevention Assistance for Schools and Universities | |
| Landscape debris (leaves, grass, trees and tree stumps) | Yes |
Leaves (must be composted) Grass Clippings (banned from disposal - should be left on the lawn, or if necessary, composted) |
|
|
Laws – Recycling & Organics |
|
|
|
|
Mattresses |
No |
Boarding schools |
|
|
Milk cartons, juice cartons, juice boxes |
No |
Kitchen, cafeteria, teachers’ room, classrooms |
Accepted in CT’s mixed recycling program (empty of liquid). Learn more about What’s IN, What’s OUT at RecycleCT. |
|
Paint |
No |
|
Latex and Oil-Based- learn about free paint recycling in CT. For large quantities of paint, contact PaintCare and ask about their Large Volume Pickup Service |
|
Plastic film, plastic bags, plastic wrap |
No |
Kitchen |
Nextrex School Plastic Film Recycling Challenge More Coming Soon! |
|
Print Shop at School |
|
|
More Coming Soon! |
|
Purchasing – Environmentally Preferred Procurement |
|
|
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program Information - Related Resources |
|
Laws – Recycling & Organics |
|
|
|
|
Recycling Bins |
|
|
|
|
Sharing Tables |
No |
|
Managing School Cafeteria Waste (incl. food sharing tables, donating surplus food, collecting food scraps, how to conduct a waste sort and alternatives to single use) |
|
Shredded paper/confidential paper |
|
Administrative offices |
Confidential/shredded paper should be collected and recycled separately – not accepted in CT’s mixed (single stream) recycling program. |
|
Steel cans |
Yes |
Kitchen |
Accepted in CT’s mixed recycling program (empty of liquid). Learn more about What’s IN, What’s OUT at RecycleCT |
|
Textiles/clothing |
No |
|
This could be a community program at the school designed as a fundraiser. Learn more about collecting textiles for reuse and recycling. |
|
Vape pens, e-cigarettes |
No |
School building |
How to Safely Dispose of E-Cigarettes: Information for Individuals (EPA, 2023) |
|
Waste Audit, Waste Sort |
|
|
Managing School Cafeteria Waste (incl. food sharing tables, donating surplus food, collecting food scraps, how to conduct a waste sort and alternatives to single use) |
|
Waste oil, auto batteries |
Yes |
|
Disclaimer: The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) maintains the content on this web site to enhance public access to information and facilitate understanding of waste reduction, reuse and recycling. The DEEP is not recommending these resources over any others and recognizes these represent only a partial listing of resources on this subject.
Content Last Updated March 13, 2025