How Educational Facilities and Other Institutions Can Go Greener

It is important for our public and private schools and other institutions adopt environmentally friendly practices that fit within their established budget. In many cases, some of the possible strategies are too costly for our schools to use. This is especially the case in today's rocky financial climate where most every industry and every institution must cut costs in order to survive.

Fortunately there are 7 easy ways for schools and other institutions to be more environmentally friendly while staying within their financial budget:

1. Make sure all appliances are modern, preferably Energy Star compliant.

2. Stop air leaks by sealing around the doors and windows. You can close vents and shut doors to rooms not being used. Trade in those old single pane windows for energy efficient double-pane windows bearing the Energy Star logo. Also check insulation levels in attics, basements and walls and add more where required.

3. Have an energy audit performed by your local power company, who may offer this as a free service. There are also paid consultants who can come to your location and evaulate your energy use, where you are losing energy, where you are losing money because of it, and what can be done. There are a variety of ways to make your building more energy efficient.

4. Sprucing up the exterior of your building can do more than give it a cosmetic lift. You can plant trees for shade in addition to bushes and shrubs which block sound and wind. Not only that, but by planting trees you are reducing CO2 emissions and oxygenating our environment. Include the community, especially the children of the community, to help in the landscaping effort and share in the sense of environmental and community pride.

5. Make sure you are recycling. Teach students to recycle and make sure this is being done in every classroom. Also emphasize the importance of reusing items. For example, have children use both the front and the back of paper. Teaching lessons on the subjects of garden creation and compost pile creation can help students become more green-wise.

6. Create an initiative for a greener school that includes children, parents and staff. This might include the implementation of non-toxic cleaning products, a solid recycling program and of course teaching the kids those little things that really make a difference like turning things off when not in use, reusing and recycling for a lifetime.

7. Set an example in your local area. Reach out to the public and encourage community-wide environmental changes. This may be a program where students and members of the community pick up trash around the park or help restore a wildlife habitat. You could even make the school the community point for a recycling initiative by asking parents and kids to bring in recyclables and reusables. Children are our future, and what they learn and practice today can impact our planet in the future.

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