There are many ways we at Hammond School can help the environment and practice sustainability. Being mindful of the environment is incredibly important, and starting some of these practices at school could influence change both at home and in the larger community.

Here are 10 simple environmentally friendly proposals that our school could adopt:

1. Have separate and multiple recycling cans for paper, glass, and plastic.
2. Think twice before printing, print only when necessary, and make sure to recycle paper instead of throwing it away.
3. Switch over to only using energy efficient lightbulbs (LED lights) in classrooms and around school.
4. Conserve power by switching off computers, lights, televisions, and other electric equipment when not in use.
5. Minimize the use of plastic at school by finding alternatives, such as paper cups and paper straws in the cafeteria.
6. Encourage people to bring water bottles and reusable cups to school, instead of single-use plastic bottles.
7. Consider having a school bus for Hammond students to minimize the greenhouse gas emissions from multiple cars in the carpool line.
8. Install solar panels on school buildings to generate clean, renewable forms of energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
9. Buy only what you need at the school cafeteria in order to reduce wasting food. If you end up buying too much food, save it for later instead of throwing it away.
10. Stay up to date on environmental issues concerning our community and educate others on these issues.

The road to implement all of these environmentally friendly proposals will not be easy; many of these ideas will be difficult to make happen. However, it is our duty to protect our planet and sustain it for the future. We should keep trying to raise awareness about how to help the environment. There is no better place to start than at our school, and it is incredibly important to initiate these proposals as soon as possible in our school community.