School’s bright sparks win green award

PUPILS at a Dublin school have saved their lunch catering company on the double and earned a national award for their efforts.

While many Irish firms pay expensive consultants to find ways of saving money, Glanmore Foods took on the expertise of St Catherine’s Senior Girls’ School in Cabra, on Dublin’s northside.

After visiting their lunch suppliers’ factory and speaking to staff, the green- schools committee came up with a number of suggestions on how the company could cut energy costs and reduce its carbon footprint.

Among the ideas were turning electrical appliances off instead of leaving them on standby, changing to CFL light bulbs where possible, turning off factory machines not in use and encouraging staff to cycle and walk to work.

The school is cutting the number of drinks bottles it uses from 15,170 a year to less than 200, by having Glanmore Foods supply reusable plastic bottles and fitting water filters in every classroom.

The initiative earned the girls, aged seven to 12, the title of overall winners of the An Taisce Green Schools Energy Project yesterday and the school will receive €4,000 for sustainable energy projects.

“It was great to see the children taking part in such a valuable learning experience. The response by Glanmore Foods was so positive and really boosted the children’s self-esteem,” said teacher Sheila Ryan.

Minister of State Fergus O’Dowd congratulated almost 100 schools which submitted entries to the ESB Electric Ireland Green- Schools Energy Project and businesses that worked with them, pointing out the importance of reduced costs for business that can be achieved through energy efficiency.

An Taisce director Patricia Oliver said more than 2,000 schools working with the organisation have reduced their costs by 22%, saving each school an average of €2,400 a year — around €5 million in energy costs.

“The ease with which companies were able to adapt to the children’s energy conservation suggestions demonstrates how simple improving a business’s energy usage can be. Each year, we see that young people have the creativity and determination to seek solutions that will enhance how we consume electricity,” said Susan Kinane of ESB Electric Ireland.