GIVE A HOOT, DON’T POLLUTEProvidence Preparatory School’s Green Initiative

Providence Preparatory School’s Green Initiative

HOW AND WHY?

FOUR OVERARCHING STRATEGIC TASKS

Costs Risks RevenuesIntangible Brand Value

WHY… OR WHY NOT?“Green Schools are the most effective agents for enacting significant positive environmental and educational change… It is now a method of choice for providing healthy, comfortable, and productive learning environments while saving energy, resources, and money”-Earth Day Network

COST EFFECTIVE 33% less energy 32% less water Increased Education

Retention Student

Empowerment Forward Thinking

HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENTS Improved indoor air-

quality up to 85% 68% reported

heating/cooling cost savings

Popularity and Trendiness

Providence Preparatory School’s Green Initiative

HIT THE GROUND RUNNING

7 STEPS TO A GREEN SCHOOL Establish a Green Team Identify Key Components Adopt a Planet Pledge Conduct an Audit Create an Action Plan Monitor and Evaluate

Progress Integrate Greening into

the Curriculum Inform, Involve, and

Celebrate!

Providence Preparatory School’s Green Initiative

…AND ACTION!

CARBON FOOTPRINT

• Calculate and measure• www.carbonfootprint.c

om•Plan to reduce footprint

• Written assessment • Specific goals

•Reduce the footprint as much as possible

• Encourage alternative transportation

• Offset carbon exhausts• Inhibit food travels

CLEANERS AND DISINFECTANTS

• Utilize High Heat sources for sanitizing dishes

• Ensure compliance with label directions

• Adopt cleaning products that are approved for program

• Omit: chlorine, ammonia, pteroleum, or synthetic fragrances

• Screened and recognized by Green Seal, US EPA Design for the Environment, etc.

• Collaborate with purveyors of similar discretions

• Register with U.S. Communities Green Solutions

• Strengthen local allegances• Cintas’s 5 “R’s”• Applied Industrial

Technologies • AmSan-CleanSource-JanPak

ENERGY AND WATER CONSERVATION

• Let the sun shine!• Purchase green tags, RECs,

and emission offsets • Purchase sustainable energy • Energy Star and similar

commodities• Condensate reclaim• Gray Water systems• Outdoor efficiency efforts

• Rain water harvesting• Recycled water• Sprinkler system

reclaim• Strategically place

reminders of PPS’s water conservation efforts

• In view of every sink to remind to turn off water

• By utility sources to remind to be conservative with water

ZERO-WASTE FOOD AND FOOD PACKAGING

• Reusable Serving Supplies• Sysco EarthPlus• BeGreen packaging

• Implement a full-scale compost and recycle system

• Perform a waste audit• Design a waste station that

sustains all components• Implement appropriate

composting strategy• Educate entire staff of

waste strategy to prevent diversion and

• Engage child/family involvement

• EarthFarms• Provides a full-scale audit

and training module• Services and recycles

grease traps and waste• Pick-up minimum $60.00/wk

PREFERABLE

EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS FOUND IN PLASTICS

• Work to omit plastic bags with food items except for cold storage

• Increases excessive waste• Contain polythylene (LDPE)

or polypropylene (PP)• Omit high-density

polythylene or PP• Absolutely no single-us

containers reused• Absolutely no DEHA• Absolutely no bisphenol A

(BPA) or polycarbonates (PC)

• Do not microwave, cook, boil, or heat foods or beverages in any plastic container, packaging, or wrap

• Inhibit any inventory of products with recycling codes 3, 6, 7

RETHINK SCHOOL LUNCH

• Update the Current Program• Family style serving• Healthy celebrations• Water initiative

•Health and Nutrition Curriculum

• Bring school lunch home• CSA’s• Local purveyors• Highlight seasonality• Nurture through

variety•Empathize and Strategize for Specialty Diets•Ingredient Highlights

TEACH, LEARN, ENGAGE

• Remain entirely focused• recycle site wide• Theme library

• Involve Children• Grow it, Try it, Like it• Color Me Healthy• Encourage outreach beyond

these four walls• Communications to

families• Family and staff

handbook• Demonstrations• Promotional materials• Community

involvement• Activity Frequency