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19 Ways to Make Your School and Classroom More Environmentally Friendly

February 27, 2017

Twenty percent of Americans go to school every day. That’s 60 million students, teachers, faculty, and staff who work and learn in our nation’s public and private schools. So it comes as no surprise that school buildings are the third biggest energy users in the country. If you’re trying to make your school a little more eco-friendly, here are 19 cost-effective ways to do so.

  • Have written assignments emailed to you instead of handed in on paper.
  • Minimize the number of papers you handout.
  • Set your printer to the “eco-friendly” setting and print on both sides of the paper.
  • Save old papers and materials onto a CD or flash drive.
  • Purchase school supplies in bulk.
  • Use old and donated magazines for art projects, instead of buying new ones.
  • Start an Environmental Club at school.
  • Update mailing lists to avoid sending unnecessary letters.
  • Print addresses directly on envelopes instead of on labels.
  • Instead of using disposable cups, switch to mugs in the teacher’s lounge.
  • Send all memos electronically.
  • Try to repair broken equipment instead of purchasing more.
  • Instead of putting computers on sleep mode, turn them off at the end of the day. This will reduce your energy use by 40%.
  • Turn off the lights whenever you leave the classroom.
  • Plant a school-wide garden.
  • Use long-lasting LED light bulbs.
  • Encourage staff members to carpool with one another.
  • Use green school supplies that are acid and chemical free.
  • Have a school energy audit.

Here at Nickerson Corporation, we are also heavily committed to engaging in environmentally friendly business practices and make it a priority to work with manufacturers who share similar values. To keep up with our green efforts, we offer products that are durable (to minimize waste), made from easily replicable parts (to eliminate the need to completely replace such products), and manufactured in a way that does not emit damaging products into our environment. For more information on how we can help you go green in your classroom, please give us a call at (631) 666-0200!