In addition to such measures, students can establish onceonly
or periodic drives to collect reusable items such as clothing,
books, toys, computers and other electronic equipment.
A re-use programme might involve the following activities.
. On-site exchange.
. Donating the collected materials to a specific beneficiary,
such as a library, shelter or charitable organization.
. Selling the collected materials at a community yard sale
and using the profit for school activities (These drives are
also sometimes part of national, state or local government
campaigns) (USEPA, 2002).
Re-use of plastic materials such as water bottle is encouraged
in 91.7% of schools. Within this scope, various additional
measures are conducted. For example, students and
staff at Alev Primary School use their own glasses or water
bottles instead of using plastic cups at water fountains in the
corridors. It was mentioned that the introduction of this
policy led to a reduction of 500 000 plastic cups per year.
Students’ awareness of environmental issues is raised in
almost all of the classes by stressing the topic of re-use and
recycling.
A total of 97.3% of schools in this study send unused school
materials to other schools in need of such materials, in line with
the principles of social sustainability. These kinds of social
co-operation projects are implemented by mutual communication
with a school chosen as sister school and/or from ‘the list of
schools in need’ in Turkey. It is known that such social
co-operation activities are particularly active within schools
in the western and southern regions of Turkey (Table 3).
Reduction of consumption – selection of
recycled products
Post-consumer material is defined as waste material generated
by households or by commercial, industrial and