Composting for Schools Programme Autumn 2023: Registration Survey

(5-10 minutes)

The Composting for Schools programme 2023 (funded by Mayo, Offaly, Wexford, Waterford, South Dublin, and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Councils) aims to help schools reduce waste and teach students about composting, biology and growing food. We want to understand your interest in reducing food & garden waste and setting up a composting system at your school. By answering the following questions, we can assess where you are now so we can help you improve your waste management practices, save money and combat climate change. Please answer the following short 20 multiple choice questions the best you can. If you don’t know an answer, just go to the next question.

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* 1. First some contact details:

Your name

Position or Role

Name of School and Roll Number

Your email address

School email address

Address

Post Code

Local Authority Catchment Area

Your Mobile Phone Number

Office Phone Number

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* 2. What sort of waste collection services does your school have? Tick all that apply.

Black bins for general waste

Green bins for mixed recyclables

Brown bins for biodegradable waste materials

We take our waste, recyclables and green garden waste to a nearby civic amenity site for disposal or recycling

The pupils take all of their waste home

I don't know

Other (please specify)

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* 3. If you use a brown bin collection service, what types of biodegradable wastes are collected? Tick all that apply.

Garden trimmings, plants and weeds from our school garden

Landscape or green waste from grounds maintenance

Food waste from staff room/canteen

Food waste from the school cafeteria and student lunches

Soiled paper and cardboard

Tissue paper- paper towels and napkins

Other (please list)

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* 4. How is green waste from landscape management around the school managed?

We do not have any landscape, garden or green waste

Taken off site by people maintaining our school grounds

Placed and accumulated in a pile somewhere on the school grounds

Actively composted on site using a composting system or bin

Placed in brown bins for collection

Disposed of in a general waste dumpster or with black bin waste

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* 5. Are there a lot of trees on school grounds that drop leaves in the autumn?

Yes

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* 6. Do you currently have an on-site composting system(s) at your school?

Yes

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* 7. If so, what kind of on-site composting system(s) or bin(s) do you have? Tick all that apply

Pile or heap

Plastic composter

Wooden or pallet composting system

Wormery

Green cone

Leaf mould cages

Other system, please explain:

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* 8. Who manages or takes care of the school’s on-site composting system?

Caretaker, administrator or other school staff

Landscaping contractor

Teacher

Students

Volunteer parents

We don’t have an on-site composting system

Other- who?

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* 9. Are there any problems associated with your on-site composting system?

Yes

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* 10. If yes, please tick all that apply:

Too wet

Too dry

Nothing happening

Odours

Flies

Rats or fear of rats

It isn't producing compost

Bin is full so we cannot add any more materials

Other (please explain)

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* 11. Do you have a school garden programme for student learning?

Yes

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* 12. Does your school have a greenhouse or polytunnel?

Yes

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* 13. Does your school generate food waste from a cafeteria or canteen?

Yes

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* 14. How is food waste managed from student lunches?

Students are required to take all waste back home

All waste from student lunches is disposed of as rubbish in black bins

All food waste is collected separately for placement into brown bins

Some food waste is composted on site using a worm bin or other composting system

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* 15. Are you interested in setting up a system to minimise garden and food waste at your school with technical and financial assistance from the Composting for Schools programme?

Yes

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* 16. What sort of composting systems would you be interested in establishing at your school? (check all that apply)

Composting bins to compost some or all of your garden or landscape materials on site

Worm bins to compost some food waste at your school

Leaf mould cages to compost autumn leaves at your school

Brown bins to collect garden, landscape and food waste for off-site composting

Other, please tell us:

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* 17. What kind of support would you like from the Composting for Schools programme to help you start or improve composting at your school? Tick all that apply:

Picking the right composting system(s)

Help in setting up systems to collect separated biodegradable waste within your school

Information on how to compost at your school

Help in setting up and starting your on-site composting system

Help in selecting classroom learning activities for students

Help in leading classroom learning activities for students

Financial support to purchase in-school collection bins, composting tools and/or composting systems

Other - you tell us:

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* 18. What sort of classroom learning topics would you be most interested in? - tick all that apply:

Recycling and the circular economy

Food waste awareness and prevention

Soil ecology & science

Growing plants in the school garden

Essentials of composting and how to compost garden materials

Biology of worms and how to set up and operate a wormery

How composting combats climate change

Cycles of life: water, carbon and nutrient cycles

Other - please let us know:

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* 19. What sort of classroom learning activities would you be most interested in? - tick all that apply:

Hands-on “how to” workshops

Small group exercises

Videos

Presentations

Interactive learning exercises

Experiments

Games

Kahoot quizzes

Exploratory homework projects

Written information: cartoons, flyers, articles, fact sheets, news articles

Other - please let us know:

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* 20. As a part of the programme, relevant staff from your school (ideally each school would have 2 participants involved) are required to participate in 5 x 1:15 hour online workshops). Initial dates for these are listed below. Please confirm these staff members' intent to attend all 5 training sessions

Wednesday 27th of Sept (online: 4:30 - 5:45)

Wednesday 4th of Oct (online: 4:30 - 5:45)

Wednesday 11th of Oct (online, 4:30 - 5:45)

Wednesday 18th of Oct (online: 4:30 - 5:45)

Wednesday 25th of Oct (online: 4:30 - 5:45)

Yes

Comments

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* 21. Finally...

By ticking this box, you have acknowledged and given Composting Ireland permission to store and access your data for the sole purpose of participating in this Composting for Schools programme.

By ticking this box, you are indicating to us that you would like to receive periodic news about programme events, further training and potential funding opportunities.

Composting for Schools Programme Autumn 2023: Registration Survey

(5-10 minutes)

Question Title

* 1. First some contact details:

Question Title

* 2. What sort of waste collection services does your school have? Tick all that apply.

Question Title

* 3. If you use a brown bin collection service, what types of biodegradable wastes are collected? Tick all that apply.

Question Title

* 4. How is green waste from landscape management around the school managed?

Question Title

* 5. Are there a lot of trees on school grounds that drop leaves in the autumn?

Question Title

* 6. Do you currently have an on-site composting system(s) at your school?

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* 7. If so, what kind of on-site composting system(s) or bin(s) do you have? Tick all that apply

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* 8. Who manages or takes care of the school’s on-site composting system?

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* 9. Are there any problems associated with your on-site composting system? ﻿

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* 10. If yes, please tick all that apply:﻿

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* 11. Do you have a school garden programme for student learning?

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* 12. Does your school have a greenhouse or polytunnel?

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* 13. Does your school generate food waste from a cafeteria or canteen?

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* 14. How is food waste managed from student lunches?

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* 15. Are you interested in setting up a system to minimise garden and food waste at your school with technical and financial assistance from the Composting for Schools programme?

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* 16. What sort of composting systems would you be interested in establishing at your school? (check all that apply)

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* 17. What kind of support would you like from the Composting for Schools programme to help you start or improve composting at your school? Tick all that apply:

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* 18. What sort of classroom learning topics would you be most interested in? - tick all that apply:

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* 19. What sort of classroom learning activities would you be most interested in? - tick all that apply:

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* 21. Finally...

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* 22. This programme is funded by Mayo, Offaly, Wexford, Waterford, South Dublin, and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Councils

* 9. Are there any problems associated with your on-site composting system?

* 10. If yes, please tick all that apply: