The Five R's
One way many schools and districts are making a difference
with respect to sustainable resource use is by teaching and employing the concept of the five ecological “R’s,”: Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle, Rot, and Re-think. These concepts can help schools to teach reading, writing and
arithmetic, and to function in a more environmentally sound fashion -- and they can help transform your school.
Schools are becoming steadily more sustainable as they reduce the amount of office and school supplies they purchase; reuse as many materials as possible, recycle what can't be re-used; rot, or compost, organic waste such as lunch scraps and yard waste; and Re-think their relationship to the environment and health. And of course, the more you engage children in this process, the more they learn.
Learn more about why the 5 R's should be an essential part of your lesson plan!
6 Resources for Becoming a Zero Waste School
Use these guides, tips and tools to help your school reduce waste, save money and build a better future.
Bringing Green Together: Sustainability Management Systems Unite School Sustainability Efforts
School districts across the country have been making great strides in their greening efforts. What many districts still lack, however, is a shared vision, set of goals, strategies, and implementation path to drive their sustainability initiatives in the same direction – using a whole-school and whole-district approach that engages students, staff and teachers working for a common, more sustainable future along the way. Enter the sustainability management system, or “SMS”.
Changing Paper Consumption
Your school can protect ancient forests by recycling and buying recycled paper
Districts Save Paper, Time, and Money with Paperless Governance Solutions
BoardDocs, a Web 2.0 paperless e-governance solution, is helping school districts save paper, time, and money.
First Green Modular Classrooms Arrive at Albany High
Who says schools can't have state-of-the-art, budget friendly green classrooms buildings? Four Gen7 modular classrooms made their Bay Area debut at Albany High School in Albany on June 3rd. The classrooms offer a range of eco-friendly features, an inspiring learning environment and a budget-friendly price tag.
Of Dryer Lint, Plastics and Petroleum Products:
2011 Earth Day Stories
It was all about the impact of plastics at Santa Barbara's Montecito School's Earth Day Movie Night. At Cleveland Elementary in San Francisco, students enjoyed a hands-on Earth Day science fair outdoors. For their Earth Day project, students at Wade Thomas, a K-5 in San Anselmo, entered a Creative Reuse Contest and won a valuable prize.
Prospect Sierra School's Zero Waste Lunch Efforts - Now on Eco-Company TV!
Fourth graders at Prospect Sierra lead the way to measure and reduce school food waste with an annual waste audit. This year, several alumni, now in high school, returned to see how the program they helped initiate is making a difference. Watch the new video by Eco-Company TV.
School Compost Programs: Pathways to Success
Kary Schumpert and Cyndra Dietz, Eco-Cycle describe how composting can help schools achieve zero waste and provide the how, why, and steps to follow.
Schools and Districts: Join the State Electronics Challenge!
November 3rd, 2011
November 3rd, 2011
Looking to reduce costs, decrease energy usage, lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce solid waste and hazardous waste, and avoid the use of toxic materials, including lead and mercury? Become a State Electronics Challenge Partner to purchase greener electronic products and manage and dispose of them with a clear conscience. It's easy and it's free.
Textile Recycling: Get a Bin and Get Paid for Recycling
Recycling at school now goes beyond bottles and cans, and textile recycling is being used by some schools to raise funds while helping others. 7th Generation Recycling offers bins to schools for collection and recycling, and pays schools 2 cents a pound for clean old clothes, shoes, hats, and household textiles.
Update: Green Dream Contest Winners Make Haste to Reduce Waste
The winners of our Green Dream Contest -- King Chavez Academy in San Diego and Berkeley High School -- have made exciting progress in just a few months. Berkeley High School’s Green Team undertook a school-wide garbage audit as one of its first actions towards reducing its waste. King Chavez Preparatory Academy is taking their waste reduction efforts to the next level, recycling more types of materials.
UPDATE: Students Mob Pizza Parlor to Promote Greening
Prospect Sierra middle school students were the first school group to organize a "Carrotmob." Their actions have had a huge impact on waste reduction at the Emeryville Public Market.
Waste Reduction & Recycling Checklists & Tools
Use these checklists, audit tools, lesson plans, action project ideas, and resources to reduce waste, increase recycling, reuse, and compost, and track progress at your school. Part of the Green Star Schools recognition program.
Zero Waste: Schools and Kids Lead the Way
All over the west, schools are hot-beds of zero waste activism, taking exciting steps to reduce waste as part of shrinking their environmental footprints. These three examples from San Diego, Hawaii and Santa Cruz are leading the way. Read about what they're doing and use the tools below to join the movement.
Zero-Waste School Events: Guide & Infographic
Use our Guide to Zero-Waste School Events. Events that are FUN don't have to make waste by the TON!