Energy-saving tips for schools
Many schools now have green issues and saving energy firmly placed on their curriculum, but there are still things which can be done to save energy and spread the word that climate change is a long term battle to be fought. We’ve come up with a few ideas to get you and your school started…
School lunch
According to government statistics: ‘producing, transporting and consuming food is responsible for nearly a third of our impact on climate change, so choices about packed lunches, tuck shops and the canteen can help the environment.’
Not only can parents help by ensuring that their children’s lunchbox is healthy and ethically sourced, they can also encourage their school to offer equally eco-friendly lunches. Local businesses may be able to offer ingredients to schools at a reduced price to school dinner producers. If possible, schools could even set up their vegetable patches to produce their own foods, something pupils could also get actively involved in.
Reduce, re-use & recycle
See our pages on reducing waste, re-using & recycling
The school is one place where there are plenty of opportunities for pupils to reduce the amount of materials they use, as well as re-using and recycling. Here are a few ideas that you can encourage:
- Ask your school to set up a recycling service with their local council
- Encourage recycling bins to be set up in every classroom and to make recycling a part of a pupil’s everyday routine
- Printing and writing on both sides of paper
- Purchase stationery made from recycled materials
- A school-wide scheme where pupils can buy and sell old or used textbooks, encouraging reuse and making the purchase of school books more affordable.
Get involved
There are lots of national projects and schemes already set up that your school could get involved in. It’s a great way of getting your school involved in green issues, with the added bonus of a network of professionals already in place that can provide educational material and support.
The Sustainable Schools Strategy Framework for example, helps schools as a whole think green as part of a programme of activities and education, as set up by the Department for Education. The GLOBE programme is a worldwide project that encourages school pupils to measure their local community’s energy usage as a scientific experiment.
