“Green School Is A Way Of Life With LFI”

For the fifth consecutive year, the Lycée Français d’Irlande’s Green Schools Committee meets approximately twice a month to implement various activities aimed at educating both pupils, teachers, parents and the local community on environmental issues.

This committee is an integral part of a pan-European programme designed to teach ecology and environmental protection to pupils through specific activities in their school.  The programme asks participating schools to reduce the ecological footprint of their school through waste reduction and recycling, as well as reducing energy costs and increasing the use of public transport.  Schools can apply for the prestigious “Green Flag” which rewards schools which have reduced their carbon footprint by 45%.

The committee, which is composed of the School Director, lunch ladies, pupils, teachers and parents, has established a concrete programme aimed at reducing the LFI’s ecological footprint.  One of the programmes put in place last year was the “walking bus” which helps in the reduction of the traffic in the area around the school.  Also, LFI’s electricity needs are now met by wind-generated power; a “clean” form of energy production.

For the last three years the School is a registered “Coastcare” group since different classes join the local community to study and clean Killiney beach. Last year we also studied and cleaned our local Cabinteely Park.

Every classroom have three different “waste” bins: one for composting material where all fruit peels and remains go, one for recycling items where clean paper and recyclable plastic go and finally one for the general non-recyclable and non-compostable material. Our aim is to eliminate the volume that goes into the third bin!

We are asking everyone to get involved in the Green Schools project.  Try carpooling; you will contribute to the fight against climate change; and you can save money!  Try using Tupperware for school lunches instead of kitchen foil or clingfilm thus avoiding unnecessary waste. Try encouraging your children to actively participate to the programme! Reuse, recycle and compost!