Fiske Elementary School began participating in the Lexington Green Teams program in 2014. After a two-year hiatus during the COVID pandemic, the Fiske Green Team is back!
Green Team is run and supported by parent volunteers. Working alongside school staff, volunteers are stationed at the waste bins during lunch time to help students properly sort waste into compost, recycle or trash. Our goal is to educate students, reduce trash and better the environment.
Please consider joining us! You can volunteer for as little as one lunch period a month. It’s easy, it’s fun, it’s making a difference and you don’t have to be an expert – we’ll show you the ropes! Get started by filling out our volunteer form or emailing us at greenteam@fiskeschoolpto.org.
COMPOSTING IN LEXINGTON
Did you know?
Americans account for only 5% of the world’s population but create half of the globe’s solid waste. (Scientific American);
80%+ of the waste in our school cafeterias can be composted or recycled.
Composting is the single biggest step towards a zero waste environment. When you compost, green organic matter such as food scraps, is diverted from incinerators and landfills and returned to the earth in the form of nutrient-rich soil, creating a closed-food cycle. Composting reduces greenhouse gasses, replenishes topsoil and conserves space in our limited landfills.
Each Lexington household creates an average of 1,500 pounds of trash each year – 30% of which is organic waste and could be composted. The Town of Lexington is continuously working to reduce waste and support green efforts across town.
Want to compost at home? It’s easy to get started. Here are some options:
Purchase a compost bin and compost in your own backyard. Compost bins can be purchased at most home improvement stores such as Ace, Home Depot and Lowe’s. Watch Lexington residents compost at home
Hire a service for regular curbside pickup. Black Earth Compost is the Town of Lexington’s preferred provider for curbside composting. Lexington residents can subscribe for an annual fee of $99 for weekly curbside pickup (less frequent pickup is available for a lower price). Black Earth’s well-known green curbside bin is available at no cost to Lexington residents who start a new subscription – simply visit the Lexington DPW at 201 Bedford Street. In addition, Black Earth will provide a $10 referral fee to Fiske if you enter Fiske Elementary School in the “How Did You Hear?” and “Referral Name” fields during the sign-up process so please be sure to complete this step! Watch Lexington residents compost with curbside pickup
Participate in Lexington’s composting drop-off pilot program. LexSORT, a pilot initiative that began in September 2021 is currently FREE to Lexington residents. Residents who register for this program can drop off household food scraps and compostable kitchen waste at two sites in Lexington on a regular basis. Visit LexZero Waste Collaborative’s LexSORT webpage to learn more and sign up!
You Can Make a Difference
Even if you can’t join us during lunch at Fiske, you can still make a big difference. Here’s how:
Be mindful when packing snacks and lunches for your child(ren). Use reusable food and drink containers whenever possible. If one-time use is necessary, do your best to purchase compostable products. Encourage your child(ren) to bring home any leftover food that is still edible.
Support Town-Wide Curbside Composting in Lexington. Lexington's current waste hauling contract is expiring in June 2023, and the decision for a new or extended contract is underway. Every year ~2,600 tons of Lexington's 8,500 tons of trash is food waste. Separating it out and providing residents with curbside composting is a critical and practical solution for our climate and trash crisis. Visit the LPS Green Teams website to learn more and show your support.
Recycle at home! Paper, glass, metal, plastic, cardboard and yard waste can be recycled via curbside recycling in Lexington by EL Harvey. Please note that plastic bags, plastic film, bubble wrap and plastic wrappers cannot be put in your curbside recycle bin. Visit the Lexington DPW Recycling webpage to learn more and for a complete list of what items can and cannot be recycled.
Donate unwanted textiles to be repurposed. 95% of unwanted textiles can be reused or recycled. The Town of Lexington has partnered with Bay State Textiles to divert unwanted clothing, shoes, stuffed animals and fabrics from the solid waste stream. Instead of being thrown away, textiles are repurposed while also creating a source of revenue for our community – Bay State Textiles pays our schools $100 per ton of material collected! Please look for the white collection box at Fiske and visit the Bay State Textiles website to learn more about what items can and cannot be donated.
Shop local. When you shop locally, you reduce your carbon footprint. You also help support area businesses, create new jobs and invest in your community. As a bonus, locally-grown produce and products are typically fresher and many times less expensive.
Leave your car at home! Choosing to walk or ride whenever possible directly helps the environment by reducing harmful greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide. As a bonus, you’ll get exercise too!
Stay informed. The Town of Lexington is committed to being a sustainable and resilient community. Sign up for Lexington's SustainabLEX Newsletter to get monthly updates on Lexington's sustainability initiatives, information about community events and resources to help make Lexington a more sustainable place to live, work, and play.
