Lincoln Public Schools continues to serve as a community leader in waste management. During the 2020-21 school year, over 1 million pounds of recyclables were collected, and over 1.15 million pounds of organic material were collected for composting. These are even more impressive impacts, knowing that our schools were facing so many challenges throughout the year. We are very excited to report that the annual diversion rate was 46% last year!
Environmental impact reports are now available for the 2020-21 school year. As a result of recycling efforts, LPS saved:
- 7,323 trees
- 1,766,027 kWh of energy
- 3,015,168 gallons of water
- 1,421 cubic yards of local landfill space
- 25,844 lbs of air pollution
- 176,603 gallons of fuel
Over time, our schools accumulate various materials such as curriculum units, classroom and office supplies, furniture, and toys. When we organize and clean out storage spaces, these items often end up moving from storage to the landfill. This summer, the sustainability office had the opportunity to give new life to some accumulated items in one of our elementary schools [more].
In August, LPS Sustainability partnered with Community Crops to host the first School Garden Gathering at Beattie Elementary. This event provided a space for schools to come together and share the successes and struggles of starting and maintaining an outdoor learning space. Over 30 school staff, CLC staff, community partners, and volunteers registered for the August gathering. Following the success and excitement from this event, garden gatherings will be held quarterly to allow for further networking and training related to outdoor learning spaces [more].
A newsletter all about school gardens will now be produced each month by Community Crops. The first few newsletters are already available on our School Gardens Page. This resource is also being shared with our School Gardens network on a tool called Slack. If you would like to get connected to this network, please reach out to sustainability@lps.org
The Green Schools Recognition Program is back for the 2021-22 school year! Read all about the 50+ available green activities you can do at your school and set a goal to earn points AND funding for a sustainability project! This program is available for all schools to participate, and ANYONE can report activities - teachers, parents, CLC staff, etc. Just remember to take a picture for your submission!
Click HERE to read more about the program and start picking your green school activities!
Looking for more ways to earn funding for your school’s Green Team? The Keep Lincoln Lancaster County Beautiful clean up grants are available! Grants are awarded to community groups and individuals who conduct litter cleanups in public areas. They provide the supplies and guidelines, and you help clean up our community. This activity engages students while also keeping them safely distanced outside. These grants are also a great way to support your student Green Team or a specific environmental initiative at your school. Get more information HERE.
Join the celebration on October 6th by registering your own walk to school event HERE. Walking or biking to school promotes healthier habits and a cleaner environment. These special events are also a great opportunity to promote safety! For more resources and information, check out the Walk to School website.
Stay Connected
Is your school doing great things to make our schools green? We want to hear about it! Please contact Brittney Albin at balbin@lps.org if you have a story to share about your school sustainability efforts.
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