Green Your School
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Responsible Purchasing Guides
Educate purchasers on using their green buying power
Back to School
Check out our green travel and bike adventures pages in the Conscious Consumer Marketplace
Greening your school can be an educational experience. Look at the following areas:
Cleaning
Energy-efficient electronics
Lighting
Cafeteria
Recycling
Click on the icons below to measure your environmental and cost savings using simple calculators from the Responsible Purchasing Network.
Find safer cleaning products
One out of every three cleaning chemicals used to clean school buildings in the United States is known to cause human health or other environmental problems. As a result, the way schools clean and maintain their buildings can have a significant impact on the health of the students and the quality of the education they receive.- Look for Green Seal and/or EcoLogo products as safer “green” cleaning alternatives.
- Search the Responsible Purchasing Network's list of preferable products
Calculate your savings for cleaning supplies
Educating in the computer age
Schools are making increasing use of computers in the classroom. Computers and computer monitors in the United States are responsible for the unnecessary production of millions of tons of greenhouse gases every year. How can schools enrich students' education without shortchanging the environment?
- Look for products that meet credible environmental standards, such as EPEAT or Energy Star. Computers, printers, fax machines, and copiers should have an energy-saving “sleep” mode that kicks in automatically after a period of inactivity. Plus, less heat buildup and fewer operating hours means a longer lifespan for your electronics.
- Connect electronics to power strips and switch them off at the end of the day.
- Invest in Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) computer monitors as another great way to improve energy efficiency.
- Recycle old or outdated electronics. Learn more about recycling options from the EPA.
- Get more information on energy efficient computers in the Conscious Consumer Marketplace—Computers.
Calculate your savings for computers Switch (off) lighting
- Switch all lights to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which are three to four times more efficient than standard incandescent bulbs. Try ordering in bulk and negotiating a competitively bid contract.
- Motion sensors and timers ensure that lights are not wasting energy in an empty room.
- Find out more about environmentally preferable lighting in the Conscious Consumer Marketplace—Light Bulbs.
- Some schools have extended the switch to kids' homes by organizing CFL fundraisers.
Calculate your savings for lighting
Food for thought
Today's focus on healthy eating choices for kids doesn't stop with what's on the plate.
- Students can be encouraged to bring their own bottles for water rather than buying bottled water or soda from a vending machine. Find out more about breaking the bottled water habit from RPN’s bottled water guide.
- School cafeterias often use Styrofoam cups, plates, and plastic utensils. Biodegradable varieties are available when reusable silverware and plates are not practical.
- Appliances, such as refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, toasters, and coffee makers, should have environmental certifications for energy efficiency.
Calculate your savings on bottled water alternatives
Recycle paper and more
Like offices, schools produce a tremendous amount of paper waste. Discouraging single-sided printing and encouraging recycling can go a long way to alleviate waste.- While some school districts have well-developed recycling programs, others have entered the green movement on the initiative of the students as part of environmental studies classes.
- Other schools have begun recycling programs as a fundraising activity: recycling ink cartridges, cell phones, paper and electronics can be profitable without requiring anyone to buy anything.
- The Earth 911 and the Resourceful Schools sites contain information on starting a school recycling program.
- Many campuses such as UMCP, Pepperdine, UCLA, and University of Oregon launched campus wide recycling and sustainability programs
- Not sure where to begin? There are many online resources for conducting a school waste audit.
| Calculate your savings for paper |
Calculate your savings for toner cartridges |
Other resources
Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) - Advances the efforts of the entire campus sustainability community by uniting diverse initiatives and connecting practitioners to resources and professional development opportunities.
Healthy Schools Campaign – Provides lots of information for protecting school children, including information on the use of safer cleaning products.
Healthy Schools Network national environmental health organization with an award-winning clearinghouse of information for parents, personnel, and schools.
Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health – Includes information on pending legislation in Massachusetts to require the use of safer cleaning products in school buildings.
Power Shift 2009 -Power shift is a sustainable movement where speakers visit college campus sites to discuss issues on sustainable energy. It also provides students with a chance to make elected officials be accountable on finding solutions for climate change.
Ready for more?
New American Dream’s Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) is a network of procurement-related professionals dedicated to socially responsible and environmentally sustainable purchasing. RPN offers detailed purchasing guides and assistance on paper, office electronics, vehicles, and many other products. Learn how your business or institution can join RPN at www.responsiblepurchasing.org.