European Union Forums

[FromtheFlatLands]

Hi, in our highschool we are trying to do whatever we can to promte protecting our environment. What are some ideas that we can do. So far we are recycling paper, plastic, and alluminum. I want to try to reduce our electricity usage by unplugging all electronics not in use. Any way to market recycling in the school would be helpful as well. We are trying to get a neighboring school to get a recycling system started as well.

[Mariner]

Man knock high school aint friendly nor will ever be

[TrinidadMMorganti]

As far as making recycling successful, there need to be as many recycling bins as there are trash cans. Some people will use the recycling bin being on the other side of the room as an excuse not to recycle. (Ideally, the custodial staff would just alternate back and forth day-to-day between picking them up so that it's no more work for them.)

One school I worked at also had a garden (kids took gardening as an elective and the food went to the cafeteria). Also, you may want to look into composting any biodegradable waste from the cafeteria instead of sending it to a landfill. There's quite a lot of it! (Speaking of cafeterias--I'm hoping that you use the reusable trays and utensils instead of that awful Styrofoam junk.)

I've read that when teachers have individual control of the room temperatures, less energy tends to be used. If there was a system that automatically cut off the heat / AC at night and over the weekends, then that would cut energy use as well.

[WinnieESewell]

Shoot the bullies. That would make the school more friendly.

[MichelleBEnriquez]

Say hi, greet and embrace your environment daily

[MaryRWebb]

Energy is the big thing in school - schools tend to have massive, drafty buildings, over heated through the winter and have very old fashioned central heating systems.

In the school where I teach the heating goes in in October and goes off again sometime in spring. My building is on the same central heating circuit as the offices, the dining hall, the staff common room and another a block of rooms. The heating for all of those stays on over school holidays because the office staff are in then. In the individual classrooms it is usually so hot that we have the doors and windows propped open so we don't pass out! We can't turn the heating off in individual rooms.

So look at energy associated with heating (incidentally, if you can show the school you will save them money you might get some funds to do a proper project).

Look at:
Secondary glazing with plastic film in rooms with single glazing
Look at fitting draft excluders on external doors
You can get a kind of foam tape that can be stuck along door frame to cut down drafts when doors are shut
If your classrooms have thermostats on the radiators ask the teachers If they would turn them down (once you have insulated their doors and windows obviously!)

The BBC had an article on their website the other day - basically 50 years ago people 'felt as warm' as we do today but their homes were on average at 18C, where we average 22C.

The difference - between now and then is that when it gets cold they put on jumpers. When we get cold we turn up thermostats!

[RockofHelp]

Organize a group to pick up litter in your school's neighborhood one day.

Make one day a week, garbage free lunch day (where there's no plastic baggies, or wrappers..etc) to reduce garbage.

Have kids bring in their dead batteries from home, and then deliver them to a place (don't know the name) where batteries can be properly disposed of (because they're bad for the earth if you put em in with the rest of the garbage).

That's all I can think of right now. When I get more ideas, I'll come edit, okay?

[SonofGerald]

Believe it or not ask the administration where they need help. Saving $$ often, not always but often, equates to what you had in mind. Maybe the electric or heating bills are high. Maybe trash costs are high. Engage the other students in your efforts. Maybe a contest for the best energy saving ideas. Arrange for a tour of the activities your school has that are often overlooked - trash hauling (see if you can visit the landfill or transfer station), where do they send old lights, what is the energy bill? And look into a no-idling zone for cars and buses. Just some thoughts.

[BettyBCole]

At my old school we use to have recycling Wednesdays, where a class would just take a whole class period taking recycle bins from all the buildings and putting them in the recycle and at the end we would get a treat. It was a special day every week.