POLLUTION IN SCHOOL

The key to environmental sustainability is thinking globally and acting locally.

Pollution prevention in schools is about making smart choices–both in what we
buy and in how we use products. It involves looking at the causes of waste and
pollution and figuring out how to prevent them.

Due to the number of people in attendance and the many activities taking place
throughout the day at a school, larger quantities and more types of waste are
produced at schools than in homes.
Students, administrative staff, teachers and janitors all use energy, water, and
even hazardous chemicals, throughout the school year. Therefore, schools are a
great place to introduce pollution prevention ideas on how to reduce or eliminate
pollution and waste, which can be harmful to humans and the environment and
costly to school budgets.

Where is waste generated in schools?

•Energy: used in lighting, office machines, heating, air conditioning,

transportation

•Hazardous chemicals: found in cleaning supplies, aerosol cans, paints, science

labs (mercury), art classrooms, janitors' storerooms

•Pesticides: used on school grounds, gyms, kitchens, locker rooms

•Water: used in bathrooms, kitchens, locker rooms, sinks in classrooms, outdoor

How can your school prevent pollution?

All students, teachers, administrators, and janitors should ask themselves if there
is a better way to do their job–a way that will not create waste. In other words,
everyone at the school should adopt a "less is best" attitude.

Some ways that students, teachers, and school administrators can prevent
pollution at school include the following:

•Bike, walk, or share rides to and from school.

•Request that drivers of school buses and cars turn off their engines while they
wait to pick up or drop off students.

•Use less toxic glues, paints, markers, and other materials.

•Start a book exchange.

•Collect unused school supplies at the end of the year for reuse next year.

•Buy unbleached, recycled paper.

•Organize a tree-planting event on school grounds, or organize a school-ground

naturalization project to create opportunities for outdoor learning through
hands–on experience.

•Use both sides of paper.

•Take a "litter-less" lunch to school, by using reusable containers and a re-usable

lunch bag.

•Use refillable pens, printer toners, and ribbon cartridges.

•Turn off machines when they are not in use.

•Organize a paper, glass, plastic or metal recycling project.

•Eliminate the use of pesticides and chemicals on the school playing fields.
•Encourage students to implement pollution prevention principles that they have
learned at school in their homes.

•Form a pollution prevention team.

•Celebrate Environment Week and participate in a community event.