7 steps to a greener school

STEP 1: Set up a student-led committee, if possible. Most Green Schools' committees comprise students and teachers, but some also include parents, grandparents, representatives of the board of management and local community groups. Selection varies from school to school; in some cases, there's a full election process.

STEP 2: Carry out an environmental review. Typically, this would highlight litter blackspots, the volume of waste they are producing, the amount of paper they are consuming and what's being recycled, as well as the amount of electricity and water they use. This exercise might also be extended to examine recycling levels at home.

STEP 3: Produce an action plan. This should contain manageable and realistic targets, broken down into "bite-size" pieces, identifying necessary tasks, who is going to carry them out and within what time-frame. Typically, the action plan goals would include reducing waste through prevention, minimisation, re-use and recycling.

STEP 4: Monitor progress on implementing the action plan. Schools typically pick ways this can be done easily on a regular basis, such as the number of wheelie bins filled every week, units of electricity used, litres of water used, number of aluminium cans recycled, etc. Results are also updated and displayed to maintain momentum.

STEP 5: Integrate the Green Schools programme into the curriculum, either directly through science, civics and environmental classes or indirectly in other subject areas through innovative teaching. Materials are provided by An Taisce to help achieve this, and schools often come up with their own innovative educational approaches.

STEP 6: Involve the whole school and the wider community in the programme. Schools use all known means of communication to tell the world including school noticeboards, assemblies, newsletters, websites, dramas based on environmental themes and also a day of action involving the school and the local community.

STEP 7: Produce a "Green Code", a sort of mission statement about the whole process. This is often run as a competition among students and generally includes a catchy slogan; some schools have even turned it into a rap. Then, after all of this is done, apply to An Taisce, Tailors Hall, Back Lane, Dublin 8, for a Green Flag.

Further information on Green Schools may be obtained by e-mailing: greenschools@antaisce.org