Keeping your school on the ‘nice list’ for sustainability

Tis the season to be jolly – but with gift wrapping, empty advent calendars and all those discarded sweet tubs likely to be cluttering up school offices come January, we have some top festive tips for SBLs to ensure their school makes the sustainability nice list this Christmas!

Improving sustainability has been a big topic of conversation this year. But with so much additional activity (and therefore waste) over the festive period, now is the time to start thinking about the small steps that schools can take to ensure the festive season is both merry and environmentally conscious.

Encourage sustainable wrapping

Wrapping is a key area in which more sustainable choices can be made. For those all-important Secret Santa gifts, SBLs can encourage colleagues to use wrapping and packaging made from recycled or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Of course, avoiding unnecessary packaging altogether is an even greater step in the right direction. While Christmas wrapping can look great, its usefulness does not extend past December – it is estimated that each year we discard enough wrapping paper to cover the entire globe several times over!

Rethink decorations to include LED and low energy lights and avoiding keeping additional lights on when natural light can be utilised will reduce energy use. Visual equipment which are already in use – such as monitors – can also be harnessed to create a festive atmosphere, rather than adding additional electric use. Think roaring log fire screen savers to make your office feel extra cosy on cold days! Make sure if you are using fairy lights to keep them switched off when rooms are not being utilised. For the all-important school Christmas tree, those using plastic trees can reduce carbon emissions by choosing ones manufactured in the UK rather than imported from abroad. Plastic trees cannot be recycled, so repurposing them by donating to local charities or shelters offers an alternative.

Cutting down waste can be achieved with simple steps and a little preplanning. Rather than sending out cards this year (which although recyclable, may still find their way to a landfill), encourage staff, students, and families to go digital with Christmas messages. This can a great way for the whole school to get creative. Why not encourage your school community by sharing a school Christmas video message on social media or by inviting the community to share festive photos.

Create a list and check it twice! Shutting down for the holidays can feel like a mad rush, but it is important to ensure you complete an energy and carbon-saving checklist in order to avoid any unnecessary energy waste over the holidays. Ask everyone to double check that windows are fully closed to avoid heat leakage, radiator settings are turned to ‘frost protection’ to avoid frozen pipes and that all electrical equipment is fully powered down and switched off.

Taking these small steps to ensure a more sustainable Christmas will have a big impact on carbon footprint and limit waste, leading to the sorts of good habits and environmentally friendly decisions that will make sure your school receives a gold star from Santa!