Lopez Island School District has decided to give itself 100%, at least when it comes to paper for its copy machines. The district has recently reached a goal of buying 100% recycled white paper for its copy machines as another step toward responsible stewardship of district resources and reducing its ecological footprint. The district’s latest paper order was for 50 boxes of 100% recycled white paper, a quantity that will meet their needs for the rest of the school year. Colored paper is unavailable in 100% recycled.
Senior Terrell Carter has been instrumental in the district’s efforts to use recycled paper. He has done extensive research, price comparing, and quality control measures in an important and effective advisory role to district officials. Carter has used his advocacy of positive environmental practices, with a focus upon reducing paper use and the conversion to recycled paper, to not only help the district but also provide a research topic for his senior project that is required of all seniors. Terrell is President of the ASB who contributed $500 toward the difference in cost between non-recycled and recycled paper. “The students, through their ASB, have endorsed this effort, which shows the commitment of our students to ecology and other positive things!” said Superintendent Bill Evans.
The district has made an effort to reduce its overall paper use to supplement its recycled paper efforts and overall environmental impact efforts. A review of white copy paper usage over the last three years shows a decrease of approximately 50 cartons of white paper.
The district is also taking other steps toward being “green” by eco-friendly janitorial cleaning supplies, installing low-flow toilets, continuing its recycling efforts, and with the passage of the bond, installing a storm-water retention pond for irrigation, as well as incorporating environmental learning opportunities into the K-12 curriculum whenever feasible. Future “green” efforts include increasing the level of composting of discarded foods from the school cafeteria, reducing irrigation water use by drip irrigation of the school food gardens and more efficient irrigation practices for playing fields. The district is also considering the use of wind and/or solar power to produce energy for running the irrigation pump(s) that will be incorporated into the new irrigation/retention pond and encouraging students and staff in energy conservation measures whenever feasible.
“The district is a very visible high energy user and has a big environmental impact on our community’s ecology”, said Superintendent Bill Evans. “We need to continue to step up to the plate and be a model to our students and others for responsible environmental and ecological choices”.
