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King County Green Schools program success story: Cottage Lake Elementary School

Success story: Cottage Lake Elementary School

School District: Northshore
School Location: Woodinville
Began participating in the Green Schools Program: November 2014

Level One of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2015
Level Two of the Green Schools Program: Achieved in May 2016

Waste reduction and recycling (level one)

  • Cottage Lake Elementary maintained a recycling rate of 60 percent and decreased its overall waste production.
  • The school received King County’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Assembly to educate and inspire students and staff.
  • School leaders promoted waste reduction and recycling in school announcements and newsletters.
  • Fifth and sixth grade students formed a Green Team to plan activities related to waste reduction and gardening.
  • Classes weighed their lunch waste and planned a school-wide competition to reduce food waste.
  • To reduce waste, the school began to use durable trays and bulk dispensers for condiments.
  • Newsletters were sent through email to cut down on paper waste.
  • In 2015-16, staff added a paper reuse box in the staff room and a recycling container to the playground.
  • The school completed regular check-ins with the Green Team to make sure students knew how to sort waste and identify contamination.
  • In 2015-16, the school conducted frequent litter pickups on the school grounds.
Cottage Lake Elementary School
Students preparing the school garden for an Earth Day planting

Energy conservation (level two)

  • Compared to the 2014-2015 school year, the school’s energy consumption decreased by six percent.
  • Each week Green Team members shared conservation information over the morning announcements.
  • Teachers choose task lighting over central lighting the majority of the time.
  • Projectors and smart boards were kept in energy efficient mode.
  • Occupancy sensors and timers ensured that lights do not stay on in unoccupied rooms.
  • Schoolwide policies guided teachers to save energy for heating and cooling by keeping windows and doors closed when systems are running, closing blinds at hot times of the day and keeping all vents and grills free of obstructions.

Awards

  • The Green Team at Cottage Lake Elementary School earned a 2016 Earth Heroes award for its ongoing outreach to educate peers and school staff members about recycling and waste reduction practices.

For more information about the school’s conservation achievements and participation in the Green Schools Program, contact:

Kerry Pigott, teacher
kpigott@nsd.org
Tina Killen, teacher
tkillen@nsd.org
King County Solid Waste Division mission: Waste Prevention, Resource Recovery, Waste Disposal

Contact Us

 Call: 206-477-4466

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