8 ways to reduce carbon footprint in schools

How to Reduce Carbon Footprint at School

The threat of climate change is striking a chord with schools and children across the globe. Carbon dioxide generated by humans is having a devastating impact on habitats and wildlife. By cutting your emissions and carbon footprint you’ll help the environment, and you could save your school money too.

There are lots of ways your school can show how much it cares about the future of its students through positive environmental actions, big and small. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Recycle everything

Tackling waste is a great way to get your school involved in sustainability. Installing recycling bins around your school, in playgrounds and in classrooms. You could even have a recycling area in your school. Put up posters explaining what can go in each bin and help younger pupils if they are unsure. Old school furniture can be donated or taken apart and used to build new furniture. Electronic devices can also be recycled. To find out what you can recycle and where your nearest recycling bank is for various types of waste visit http://www.recyclenow.com/.

Make it work day-to-day:

• Colour-coded bins with simple, pupil-friendly labels

• “Recycling monitors” in each class

• End of day sweep to remove contamination

Compost waste

By composting non-animal-based waste from your school kitchen you can create good quality compost which can be used on your school garden, or you could even bag it up and sell it to parents. Compost bins are easy to make, or you can purchase them from good garden centres. The composting process can also be observed by students making an ideal real-life learning aid for science lessons.

Practical steps:

• Install clearly labelled, colour-coded recycling bins in classrooms, halls, and playgrounds.

• Assign “recycling monitors” in each class to help peers.

• Set up compost bins for food waste, pupils can observe decomposition and use compost in gardens.

• Remove contamination with a daily sweep.

Tip: Turn recycling and composting into classroom science projects to increase engagement.

Switch to renewable power sources

Switching to renewable energy sources is a great step for reducing your school’s carbon footprint. Small scale renewable energy systems are pollution-free and will help to reduce energy bills. They can also generate interest in energy efficiency amongst pupils and provide a valuable teaching resource. Renewable energy systems that can be appropriate to schools include wind turbines, biomass, solar heat and power and heat pumps.

A rooftop solar installation could power your school through the day and create a new revenue stream during the school holidays by selling clean energy to your community.

Source local food

Food waste production can be reduced by as much as 20% in many schools. There are many steps you can take, both small and large, that can have a positive and significant effect on the sustainability of the school food system. Many of these will also have a positive effect on school budgets, as in many cases efficiency and sustainability can be pursued at the same time.

• Align your school menu with seasonal production and harvesting cycles

• Use local food suppliers and consider working with other local authorities

• Ensure you are serving certified sustainably sourced fish

• Forecast portion sizes to cut leftovers.

• Compost food scraps to create fertilizer for school gardens (~0.5 kg CO₂ saved per kg of waste).

• Engage students in menu planning and waste-reduction projects.

Add simple waste-reduction routines (better forecasting, smarter portion sizes, pupil feedback on menus) to cut left overs and improve engagement.

Change your buying habits

Review what the school buys and see if there is a greener alternative. Consider using recycled paper and IT equipment which uses less energy. You could also look to using more environmentally conscious suppliers who use energy-efficient vehicles. Are there ways that you can bulk buy? Look out for giveaways here at gls to help reduce your school’s carbon footprint.

Green your purchasing habits:

• Use recycled or eco-friendly paper and notebooks.

• Buy energy-efficient electronics and equipment.

• Donate old furniture or recycle it into new resources.

• Bulk-buy items to reduce packaging and transport emissions.

• Partner with environmentally-conscious suppliers.

Get pupils involved

Tap into your schools' concern for the environment and their natural enthusiasm for change. Sustainability is on the curriculum, so use this to involve pupils in practical projects around the school. Have a meeting with your staff and talk about ways they can get their classes involved in helping the environment.

Make sustainability a school-wide culture:

• Run competitions to reduce energy use or food waste.

• Assign eco-champions or green committees.

• Integrate practical projects into the curriculum: school gardens, renewable energy demos, or waste audits.

• Encourage ideas from pupils, they often come up with creative solutions.

Active travel

Encourage pupils and staff to walk or cycle to school as much as possible. By cycling or walking to school, children gain more independence and learn about their local area. By encouraging pupils to walk or cycle you can reduce congestion and pollution and help children increase their physical activity and become healthier. Read here for more ways to encourage walking and biking to school.

Safety should always be the most important consideration. Parents or volunteers may be able to accompany children who decide to walk to school. Walking bus is often a popular way to encourage children to walk to school whilst reassuring parents and guardians that the children are as safe as possible. For those who cycle, consider introducing cycling proficiency and road safety lessons to help children learn about the dangers on the road and how to behave in these situations.

Helpful enablers:

• Secure bike/scooter storage

• Basic maintenance sessions

• Agreed routes and meeting points for walking busses

• “No idling” reminders at drop-off and pickup

Encourage staff and students to reduce car travel:

• Walking or cycling saves ~0.2 kg CO₂ per km per person

• Organize a “walking bus” or cycle clubs

• Provide secure bike and scooter storage

• Offer road safety and cycling proficiency lessons

• Promote “no idling” zones at drop-off/pickup

Save on energy

Simple, yet so effective. Saving energy by following our tips can help reduce your school’s carbon footprint significantly. You can easily save energy by:

• Change to energy-saving light bulbs

• Switch off lights in empty classrooms and school halls

• Avoid leaving computers, TVs and printers on standby

• Unplug chargers when not in use

• Turn your school’s heating down a degree or two

• Consider renewable energy systems:

  • Solar panels on rooftops

  • Heat pumps

  • Small wind turbines

Quick Wins vs. Long-Term Projects

Monitor Progress & Celebrate Success

Track your impact:

• Record energy, gas, and water usage monthly.

• Measure recycling and composting rates.

• Survey students and staff on sustainable travel habits.

• Set goals and celebrate milestones—posters, newsletters, and awards motivate continued participation.

Every step counts. By combining small daily habits with long-term projects, your school can significantly reduce its carbon footprint, save money, and educate students about sustainability. Start small, track your impact, and grow your initiatives over time, together, you can make a real difference for the planet.