Sustainability Challenge 8: Back to School

Thursday, August 29, 2024
By Carolina Silva, Interior Designer
In Sustainability

August means back to school! It also means buying more supplies, that may or may not last the year. With our educational clients in mind, our team put a list of small and easy gestures that can be incorporated into the school year and help our planet.

• Use misprints as scrap paper for student work, crafts, or notes. Mistakes happen! Why not learn from it.

• Check what your cleaning products are made of: Commercial grade cleaners are often made from strong chemicals. These chemicals emit gas into the atmosphere and can linger in buildings, exposing staff and students to harmful substances. Did you know that our health is heavily impacted by the air we breathe? Productivity, cognitive thinking and overall happiness increase with clean air, while stress and sick days decrease.

• Promote zero waste events: Ditch the plastic water bottles, use reusable cups and plates, or chose compostable options. Don’t over order, donate leftovers or encourage people to bring reusable to-go containers.

• Use outdoor spaces: This is not always easy, but using outdoors spaces is helpful in more ways than we think! From a sustainable aspect, that means less energy is being used. This is even more beneficial during peak hours. From a well-being perspective, exposure to green spaces reduces stress, improves mood, and can enhance our immune system.

• Add sustainability to the educational curriculum: The earlier we learn about ways we can help the planet, the better off we are! When we integrate sustainable practices into our everyday lives, it makes it easier to follow through.

Let us know if you are using any of these tools already or if you have more ideas to add to the list. Have a great start to the school year!

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