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Success Story: Academy Schools
School District: Private
School Location: Tukwila
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: September 2009
Level One of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2011
Waste Reduction
- To reduce the amount of food waste in its lunchroom, Academy Schools instituted a policy in the fall of 2010 to send home all uneaten food. This practice both encourages students to eat the lunches packed by their parents and educates parents about what their children are eating at school.
- The school uses durable utensils in the lunchroom.
- During 2009-10, students made phone calls to unsubscribe the school from unwanted subscriptions.
- All classrooms have reuse containers for paper that’s only been used on one side. Teachers and students use this paper whenever possible.
Recycling
- Academy Schools increased its recycling rate from 23 percent to 34 percent, a 48 percent increase in the amount of materials recycled.
- One factor in achieving this increase is that the school switched from having students and teachers take recyclable materials home to place in their household recycling containers to contracting with a collection service for onsite recycling collection.
- Students recycle juice boxes and Lunchable packages through TerraCycle.
- Lunchroom monitors help educate students by emphasizing both school and home recycling information.
- The school placed stickers listing what can and can’t be recycled on its recycling containers.
- The Upper School students who collect trash and recyclable materials learned first-hand about recycling and are excellent advocates who encouraged younger students to increase their classroom recycling rate.
For more information about the school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:
Janelle Neil, principal
principal@academyschools.org
Judy Boomhower, teacher
boomhower@academyschools.org
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