Going Green

Being ‘green’ is a pillar of the Lycée Francais de New York both operationally and philosophically. We are committed to an aggressive platform of initiatives that support a holistic approach to green living, both at school and beyond.

Recent Accomplishments

Green Power Partnership

In March 2010, the Lycée partnered with the EPA in a Green Power partnership. We will offset 100% of our energy usage with renewable energy credits (REC’s) for the next two years.

Recycling

The school continues to put recycling at the forefront:

  • Since September 2009 our students and teachers have collected an estimated 9,000 plastic bottle caps from our cafeteria and their own homes, sending them to ACA waste services for proper recycling as part of our enrollment in Aveda’s recycling campaign.
  • Every year the school recycles close to 1,000 lbs. of batteries, florescent lamps and old electronics to ensure that harmful toxins do not leech into our ground water and that some of the discarded material can be reused.
  • The entire school community is working toward making recycling paper, metals and plastics the norm for the Lycée. In 2007, the school purchased recycling containers for all classrooms and offices and set up recycling stations in all the common areas of the school a year later. LFNY also employs a Green Seal policy which assures that most of our products are green sealed and recyclable.
LEED Commitment

We are currently in phase three of the certification process for LEED-EBOM (Existing Buildings-Operation and Maintenance) – the goal of which is maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. Our LEED certification approval is expected in the 2010-2011 school year. In May 2010 we reached a milestone by attaining an Environmental Protection Agency prerequisite score which enabled us to move to the final phase of certification.

As part of this commitment, an environmentally cognizant approach is in action throughout the school:

  • Cleaning Green
    The school continues its commitment to green cleaning products or those meeting Green Seal criteria to ensure a healthy school environment. Green cleaning has been part of our cleaning program since 2006 and our commitment to LEED-EBOM will ensure Green cleaning is always an important aspect of our cleaning regimen.
  • Electric Reduction
    In 2009 the school used 1,940,000 KWH (Kilowatt hours), which was a reduction from the previous four years and accounts for a reduction of almost 40% from our 2005 usage.
  • Energy Curtailment Specialists
    Our partnership with ECS (Energy Curtailment Specialists) has benefited the school by over $20,000 for 10 hours of energy reduction over the past 2.5 years and prompted us to do a regularly scheduled reduction the first Wednesday of each month to keep ourselves energy conscious.
  • Butterfly Project
    The Butterfly Project seeks to re-introduce native butterfly species back to New York City and is administered by Primary teachers Mylene Ardid and Marion Aujean with the help of parent, Tessa Grundon. The native plants associated with the project are strategically located on the 2nd and 6th floor roofs. As pollinators, butterflies are an important part of our ecosystem and the project has given the school the opportunity to bring the students outside to experience a living lab.
  • Growing Connection
    We have completed our first cycle with the Growing Connection, an international educational program meant to create a bond with students in other countries. Students share information about the ecological projects they’re working on with partner schools in other countries.
  • E-recycling Drive
    In January 2010 the Lycée held its first e-recycling drive. The school collected laptops, phones, printers, and video games that may have found their way to landfills, providing over $4,000 worth of collected donations for the charity Madre, an international women’s human rights organization. This will be a recurring event to lessen our impact on landfills and be a model for the community.

Parents and students interested in Green Resources for education and lifestyle are invited to visit:

 

 

About - Facilities - Going Green