Drain it. Drop it. Dump it. That’s the new three-step system Cottage Lake Elementary students use to reduce waste from school lunches.

Rather than toss partially-filled milk cartons and half-eaten lunch items into one large garbage bin, students drain the liquid from their cartons or juice boxes; then drop the empty containers into a recycling bin; and finally — dump out the food left on their trays.

A gallon of liquid weighs about 8 pounds and the students remove 50 pounds of liquid waste from the garbage each day. The new process helps reduce the school’s waste disposal costs and saves room in the landfill. “If we can take liquid out of garbage, we can save hundreds of dollars,” Principal Karol Pulliam said, adding, “I’d like to get the students to drink their milk, but if they don’t, they have the opportunity to drain it.”

The children employ the new recycling process at the conclusion of their school breakfast or lunch. A team of student monitors stands by to encourage them to drain their drink cartons or bottles and recycle the empty containers.

Pulliam explained that the student body learned the new system easily and accepted it with enthusiasm. “I rolled two 40- gallon bins around to each classroom. One bin had a sign on it that read: ‘Drain it. Drop it. Dump it. Stack it.’ A student came up to help me and I modeled the system to the class. I visited 20 classrooms and it took me about two hours. The students were so excited and they just did it. They’re great. They changed their behavior in one day and I’m really proud of them.”

In addition to saving money, the new system teaches the students about recycling practices. “So their expectation is to recycle,” said Pulliam. Students also recycle in the classroom, placing used paper in blue bins located in each room and Pulliam pointed out, “With mixed recycling, we’re now promoting more than paper, such as water bottles that can go in with the paper.”

Cottage Lake’s new recycling process is part of the Northshore School District’s work with the King County Green Schools Program, which helps schools and school districts expand conservation practices and reduce related costs.

The program also helps increase awareness of conservation among administrators, staff, students and parents and recognizes schools as stewards of the environment. Green Schools Program Manager Dale Alekel said Cottage Lake is the first school within the Northshore School District to use the new three-step system.

“Cottage Lake Elementary’s new system will serve as a pilot,” she said. “If it’s successful, it will be a model for other elementary schools in the district. If any problems with the new system are encountered, they’ll be ironed out and an improved system will be introduced in the other schools.”

In fall 2005, Cottage Lake will be an even greener school when it opens 16 new classrooms and a new library. A major remodel project currently under construction will replace the old classrooms and library. The new buildings will feature several sustainable design components.

“Every room will have access to outside air and rain gardens will be everywhere,” Pulliam noted. “And we’ll be doing lots of surface water management.” The environmental-friendly buildings will also incorporate better use of natural light.