Environmental Awareness
Kilkeel High School is working hard to try to raise awareness of environmental issues. We try to make environmental action a major part of life in the school by encouraging both pupils and staff to care about environmental issues and thus hoping to make a positive change in the environment around them .e.g. in the day to day running of the school.
It also hopes to bring in the wider community such as parents, businesses and the local government.
What is Kilkeel High School doing?
We have been carrying out some of the schemes outlined below for a number of years whilst others are new. The school would welcome any other suggestions that pupils, parents and staff may have.
Of course, why not get involved yourself. Your environment needs you.
RECYCLING
We pride ourselves in the wide variety of things we recycle but we’re always on the lookout for others. Feel free to bring in any of the items below.
- Pen recycling. We collect all sorts of used writing instruments. Collection boxes have been distributed around the school and you can deposit any brand of used pens, felt-tips, markers and fluid correction containers into them. Money earned from these will benefit a named charity too.
So give those pens a second life and stop them going uselessly to landfill!
- Cash For Clobber  – Each year, usually in the springtime, our school gathers up hundreds of bags of unwanted clothes and passes them on to the Cash for Clobber organisation. Money earned goes back into school initiatives or to charity. Keep a look out for our next collection to get rid of those outdated fashions!
Next collection – June, 2022.
- Bins – There are blue bins in every classroom which can collect paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, glass and tins. Use them as much as you like!
- We collect printer ink cartridges, any brand, both large and small, which are sent off to be recycled and donations made to local charities. The 2 charities which benefit are Concern and The Institute for the Blind.
- We also collect and recycle batteries.
All in an attempt to help our world become that little bit greener.
WASTE
- Litter – Be proud of your school and your area. Why not pick up that piece of litter rather than walking by. It will make you feel good! There are now bins on the pitches and since they have been introduced there has been a big reduction in visible litter. This ensures that all of our pupils, staff and visitors are introduced to a clean and litter free environment, thus making it a nicer place in which to work and learn.
It doesn’t take much to find a bin to put your rubbish in.
- We encourage all our pupils and staff to write on both sides of the page all the time. This reduces the demand on trees and saves paper but still enables you to write down all those important notes!
- In the last few years we have participated in a scheme to reduce the amount of unwanted or junk mail being sent to homes and businesses. Considering that 44% of junk mail is thrown out unopened, reducing this can create huge benefits for our environment . A lot of pupils took up the challenge and so reduced the amount of unwanted mail coming through.
- In Kilkeel high we try to save water as much as possible. We have a number of different measures for doing this. We have push taps in many of the toilets to prevent the taps from being accidentally left on. We are planning to place hippo bags in all of the toilets. This will enable us to save water in an easy and cheap way.
ENERGY
- In many places in Kilkeel High we have sensor lights detecting when people are no longer in the room so lights go off. We also have signs at many of our manual switches reminding people to switch off the lights.
- We have power saver modes on all our computers, and automatic shutdown to prevent them staying on longer than they need to and wasting energy.
- We also encourage pupils and staff to close doors especially in winter to keep the heat in and energy costs a minimum.
- How about suggesting turning off some of those radiators in rooms when it gets too hot.
Annual Eco Initiatives
Power Down Day
Earth Hour – Turn off your lights, and, if you can, non-essential electrical appliances just for an hour and do your bit for climate change.
Rethink Waste Project
Beachwatch