OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Omaha's Duchensne Academy of the Sacred Heart says it's reached an environmental sustainability goal eight years ahead of schedule.
A self-audit showed the all-girls Catholic school sent 91% of waste to a compost or recycling bin, or into the orange Hefty energy bags. It and others define as 90% of waste being diverted from a landfill as zero waste.
They say they reached that goal the week of Nov. 7, well ahead of the 2030 aim.
Assistant Principal Eric Krakowski heads up the sustainability program. He runs a self-audit about twice a year, he said. The first came in at 14%.
The goal was set alongside other environmental goals a few years after Pope Francis' 2015 letter calling for people to take care of the planet.
"In response to that, as a school, we made it a priority to see what we could do," Krakowski said.
Composting, recycling, and Hefty energy bags
A significant chunk of the waste comes from the cafeteria. It doesn't use plastic, only reusable or compostable materials. Hillside Solutions, which also runs a community composting program, hauls off the food scraps and turns it into valuable soil.
Other waste might be able to be recycled or put into the orange Hefty energy bags. Energy bags are being stored at Omaha's First Star Recycling and will soon be used to make plastic lumber.
Reducing consumption can also bring landfill waste down. Students, for instance, use tablets in class and for homework, which allows for less paper use.
Sustainability Club
Students play a big role in educating their peers on how to meet the goal.
This October, students in the sustainability club had classrooms fill the orange energy bags and decorate them like jack-o-lanterns.
"I've always had a passion for sustainability," said the club president, Aderyn Lawse. "I've learned about climate change since I was a young kid."
Club Vice President Grace Reyelts brings a different perspective.
"Before I came to Duchesne, I went to a school that didn't really have many sustainable things about it," she said. "I wasn't very well informed about how I could impact the world around me."
Krakowski said he hears "every week" from students, parents and others who want to know more about what the school does, and how they can incorporate it at work and school.
Other efforts
The zero waste goal isn't the only part of the school's sustainability efforts. Solar panels installed in 2019 offset enough energy to power the school's STEAM lab, a hands-on classroom with lots of machinery. The school is hosting a Christmas Lights recycling drive. And it plans to have "net-positive building emissions" by 2030.
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