Sustainability in schools: alternatives for your school

Sustainability in schools: alternatives for your school

It is crucial for SBMs to do all they can to create better sustainability in schools. There are many ways in which a sustainable school can be achieved; however, a huge part of this change starts with the small things. An example of this is selecting sustainable alternatives to your usual appliances. Using alternatives contributes to the environment in a positive way and helps SBMs reach the goal of having an eco-friendly school.

To assist you with alternative choices throughout your school, we have outlined some areas where sustainable alternatives can be made. We have also partnered with Cheeky Panda to bring sustainable choices to a school environment and showcase the range of eco resources that are available to schools.

Stock up on essential alternatives

Essentials for schools is everything your school needs often that you purchase in bulk. Due to this, SBMs should consider alternatives for these essentials, as using the same old supplies in a vast amount is damaging to the environment.

One of the biggest supplies for school essentials are stationery. Pens and pencils being the most used stationery items in schools, yet they are the most harmful to the planet. Pens are typically made from plastic with most not being able to be refilled. This means that disposable pens tend to end up in the landfill. Pencils are made from wood, so this requires thousands of trees to be cut down every year to produce them. It is the same with paper too which is regularly used within schools.

To reduce the damage to the environment, SBMs need to stock up on sustainable alternatives to minimise their environmental impact. Instead of normal paper, consider recycled paper for students and staff to use. You can also get grass pens that are made from meadow grass and can be used repeatedly as most are refillable. You can also purchase different materials for pens such as cork or paper which can be composted to avoid contributing to plastic wastage. Or for the same feel as plastic pens and for better usage for students, consider pens made from recycled materials.

Provide sustainable hygiene for your school

Since covid, it has been a high priority for schools to offer hygiene products to staff and students. However, many hygiene products can be harmful to the environment. Many hand sanitisers come in plastic bottles that are thrown away when used. These add to the plastic waste in landfills that never decompose. Think about and research eco-friendlier hand sanitisers that you could swap with to offer to your school.

Another huge negative factor in hygiene is tissues. Tissues need to be offered within schools to help prevent the spread of illnesses. Tissues affect the amounts of trees that are cut down. To prevent this, try offering eco-friendly tissues. A great alternative to ensure sustainability in schools is bamboo tissues. They are still high in durability and just as absorbent, plus, there’s no plastic within the packaging. Due to being made from bamboo, these tissues are kind to the skin which is essential for students and staff to prevent sores that can occur from regular tissues.

Introduce an eco-friendly way of cleaning

Cleaning products are a necessity for SBMs to stock up on to ensure their school is clean and as germ-free as possible. Cleaning products tend to come in packaging that contains a lot of plastic, as many cleaning solutions are stored in plastic bottles. Plus, the solutions can sometimes have harmful chemicals in them that, when in production, has a negative effect on the environment.

As schools need to purchase cleaning products in bulk, SBMs must think of a way to reduce this negative impact. Consider swapping your normal cleaning solutions with eco solutions. There are many types of eco solutions that you can choose from, most made from plants and excluding harmful chemicals. Many come in biodegradable packaging and are animal cruelty-free too.

Another staple for quick cleaning that is used regularly in schools are cleaning wipes. These are great for your staff to use before their lessons as they can wipe down surfaces quickly to reduce the risk of spreading germs. Nevertheless, normal cleaning wipes are disposable, and they aren’t biodegradable. Due to this, it is best to switch your usual cleaning wipes with bamboo antibacterial surface wipes. These wipes are a sustainable alternative for your school as they are 100% biodegradable and have no harsh chemicals. They clean with purified water and plant-derived cleaning agents to minimise your environmental impact.

Invest in sustainable furniture

Furniture is essential for the whole school, especially in your office, classrooms and outdoors. A huge proportion of furniture for schools are made from plastic, and this needs to change. Investing in eco-friendly furniture is a perfect way to introduce sustainability in schools. Ensure to steer towards wooden materials where possible for indoors as this reduces the effect on the environment. For outdoor replacements, consider recycled plastic materials that are better for the planet and sturdy and weather resistant.

Find eco alternatives for the bathrooms

It might not seem apparent, but bathroom supplies can be very damaging to the environment. It is an area where SBMs can make smarter choices to reduce their schools' environmental impact. Simple supplies such as toilet paper can be swapped to help lower the number of trees being cut for paper. This is something SBMs need to bulk purchase to ensure there is plenty in stock.

Try eco-friendly bamboo toilet paper instead, which comes in a bulk pack. This also contributes positively to the environment due to fewer deliveries being made. Using bamboo instead of paper will make a small difference to your school's impact. Plus, having plastic-free packaging helps you reduce the number of plastics you use.

You can also swap your usual hand soaps with a refillable soap dispenser to further limit the usage of plastics within your school.

Create less waste during breaks and lunches

During breaks and lunches, wastage can occur regularly. Food wastage is the highest type of waste during lunch and breaks that can negatively affect the environment. To reduce this risk, ensure that you don’t order too many food products so that there isn’t as much waste left at the end of the school day. Another way to turn food wastage into a positive for the planet is to have a school compost. Composting turns food into a decayed matter that can be used with soil to assist fertilisation of plants which increases a positive impact for your school.

Other wastage during breaks and lunches can be plastic wastage through packaging, bottles and straws. Invest in sustainable alternatives and steer away from your usual plastic supplies. There are many food products that now have reduced or zero plastic packaging and some that even is recycled plastic. Try bamboo straws to cut out plastic and avoid paper too. Plus, they are super strong so won’t break down after getting wet, like paper straws do. After use, there’s no worries about throwing them away as they are biodegradable so a much better option for large quantities.

Create better sustainability in schools with these simple alternatives that SBMs can swap. Making these changes drives schools towards a greener future and creates those small, important steps to contribute positively to the environment. Swapping out your old choices for the school is a smarter choice as not only are you helping the Earth, but you are bringing good quality supplies across the school still. Making these sustainable alternatives also shows the school your commitment to the environment and encourages staff and students to do their bit to save the planet.

To further enhance your chances of a greener future within your school, take a look at some other key changes needed in our eco school ideas blog.