The article will explain how to make both schools and schooling more eco-friendly. Various theories and practices will also be given and suggested that can render schools more sustainable and eco-friendly.
How to make schools more eco-friendly?
You can make schools more eco-friendly by:
- Being conservative with the resources
- Switching to energy-efficient appliances
- Having eco-friendly waste management systems
- Having better waste management
- Use of natural and biodegradable products
Be wise with the resources
It is a known fact that schools also rely on resources both renewable and non-renewable resources. Therefore, it is rather important to make sure that the dependency is more polarised towards renewable resources rather than non-renewable resources.
There are several ways by which schools and the administration that runs the school can be wise with the resources. These include steps such as
- Substitution of renewable resources and reducing the use of non-renewable resources.
- Being careful about the use of resources. Turn off lights and fans wherever needed. If possible, install automatic and motion-sensitive systems to be more careful with resource consumption.
- Continuously check for leaks and repair works to make sure that there is no damage or drainage of resources.
- Latest systems must be installed because the latest systems will be energy-efficient and this will be good for both the economy and the environment.
- The structure of classes should be made as such to make them the airiest and the exposure to sunlight should be maxed. This will lead to less resource consumption.
- Proper damping and insulation must be done in school to save resources
- Instead of paper assignments, software-based assignments and tasks should be preferred to make schools paper-conservative.
Switch to energy-efficient appliances
Another great way to help the environment is by shifting to energy-efficient appliances because these appliances will consume less energy and thus, there will be a decreased dependency on non-renewable resources.
Examples of these smart appliances may include LED bulbs, smart thermostats, motion-sensitive lights et cetera.
When you switch to these energy-efficient appliances, not only better utility is offered, you will have fewer bills to take care of, and the environment will be given less pressure to deal with.
Having better waste management systems
There is a lot of resource wastage in schools and therefore, it is essential that the schools must have apt waste management systems. This can be done through steps such as
- Schools can have recycling centres and compost piles
- The administration may keep reusable items to be used in students’ reuse and DIY projects.
Use natural or biobased products
Schools also make use of products that may or may not damage the environment and therefore, it is essential to shift to products that are eco-friendly as well. This can be done through
- Using eco-friendly and biodegradable cleaning materials
- Using products that are made from organic materials
- Using products that come either in biodegradable packaging (so that they can be composted) or features the use of recycled materials
- Buying products that avoid the use of chemicals such as parabens or phthalates
- Preferring products that are certified from organisations that label them as eco-friendly.
Therefore, it is best to avoid these products and shift to biodegradable and biocompatible alternatives.
For example, plastic bags can be replaced by bio-based bags that are biodegradable. Also, chemical-based detergents or soaps can be replaced with natural and organic alternatives that are good for the environment as well as our health.
How can schooling be made more eco-friendly? (9 ways)
Now let us talk about some ways to make schooling more eco-friendly. It is rightly asserted that schools are the places where students and people are taught about theory and practices. The initial thought process and subjective perceptions are shaped greatly by schools.
Therefore, it is believed that if an eco-friendly mindset is made an inevitable part of the school curriculum, then there will be a lot of positive impacts as the students can start their eco-friendly practices from a very young age.
Here are some ways to make schooling more eco-friendly
- The students must be encouraged to prefer walking or riding bicycles if there are homes nearby.
- The students must be engaged in activities such as waste-free events and they should be asked to actively participate in energy conservation.
- The students must be given DIY projects or competitions to incubate the reuse and recycle mindset.
- The students must be given waste management lectures. The students can also be demonstrated how to compost at home and recycle at recycling centres. In-class activities can also be arranged.
- Both the parents and apprentices must be enlightened about sustainability. Regular seminars could be held to create awareness and daily practices to render one more sustainable.
- Events can be arranged to discourage the overconsumption of meat. This can also be done through meat-free Mondays.
- The schools must arrange waste-free events and must teach the students how to be waste free.
- The students can be engaged in reduce and reuse competitions where the best student or group can be awarded for their resource reuse project. Students must be encouraged to save paper and shift to online whenever possible to save trees.
- Events such as Waste Day or Earth Day must be regularly arranged to enlighten students about the importance of the environment and how to be eco-friendly with it.
Conclusion
It is concluded that the article explained how to make both schools and schooling more eco-friendly. Various theories and practices were given, explained, and suggested that can render schools more sustainable and eco-friendly.
References
- (June 1, 2022). 6 ways to make schools more eco-friendly. Retrieved from: https://www.cobis.org.uk/our-network/blog/blog-demo-page/~board/blogs/post/6-ways-to-make-your-school-more-sustainable
- 10 Great ways to make schools more sustainable. Retrieved from: https://circularcomputing.com/news/10-ways-make-school-sustainable/
- Louis, J. N., Calo, A., Leiviskä, K., & Pongrácz, E. (2015). Environmental impacts and benefits of smart home automation: Life cycle assessment of home energy management system. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 48(1), 880-885.