Omaha Public Schools started its Green Schools Initiative in the fall of 2010 following the completion of a comprehensive Energy & Sustainability Action Plan. Over the course of the
last two years, OPS has decreased its energy costs by $750,000 (year over year 2010 vs. 2011) and reduced GHG emissions by over 12,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.
In the fall of 2010, OPS set goals for the Green Schools Initiative in the areas of energy (ENERGY STAR), water, waste, recycling, paper, integrated pest management, and green team participation. OPS is either on or ahead of schedule in every case except waste production.
Despite exceeding its goal related to recycling, reductions in waste aren’t materializing as quickly as hoped, primarily because the majority of the waste comes from cafeterias and, to a lesser extent, athletic events. In both cases, there are many hurdles to creating a successful recycling system.
The USGBC Nebraska Flatwater Chapter (USGBC NFC) requested a $2,000 grant from National USGBC and will provide matching funds to provide recycling containers, signage, education, and a waste audit (of one school’s waste only) to five OPS high schools, which is where most of the waste is produced. Students and USGBC NFC members will be able to observe a portion of the waste audit and tour a local materials recovery facility where City of Omaha recyclables are processed.
In addition to USGBC NFC's matching contribution of $2,000, chapter members that participate in the Green Schools committee will also have an opportunity to assist with the effort on a volunteer basis. OPS’ Buildings & Grounds staff will oversee implementation of the program with some assistance from the district’s sustainability consultant, Verdis Group.
Key personnel in each high school will manage the on-the-ground implementation, and a local nonprofit, Conservation Fusion, will assist with the education and student engagement elements.
A secondary goal of the program is to ascertain and share best practices for decreasing waste and increasing recycling rates. Two outputs will be created that can be shared with any school to help them further their efforts:
1) a brief description of the program and associated lessons learned, and
2) an online video that helps schools create their own recycling program or system.
The USGBC Nebraska Flatwater Chapter will work with other organizations to share the aforementioned resources with the rest of the state’s schools and will make the resources developed as part of this program available to other chapers that could benefit as well.
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