Transylvania County Schools believes that saving energy is good for the environment and makes good business sense, especially in tough economic times.  We also believe, and have proven over the past 2 years, that recycling materials also makes good business sense.

We are currently in the initial stages of a "Green Schools Initiative" pilot program beginning at Brevard High School with the help of science teacher Jay Case and his Environmental Health Club.  Once we develop a model for evaluating, implementing, and measuring the success of green initiaitves we hope to expand the program to other schools.  Our program will include the following:

Recycling Committee

Our recycling committee consists of representatives from each school and exists to facilitate cardboard, paper, plastic, and glass recycling at each school.  Committee members help monitor participation and provide input to improve operations.  The Committee has worked closely with Land of Sky Regional Council to develop and implement the program.

Click here for directions to the nearest Transylvania County recycling center.

Plastic Bottle Ban Goes Into Effect

Under a new law that took effect Oct. 1, North Carolina is banning all rigid plastic containers from landfills. This includes any bottles with a neck smaller than the container itself.

North Carolina is also building the nation’s largest facility to recycle PET bottles, which will able to process 280 million pounds of material per year. One of the primary partners in this venture is carpet manufacturer Shaw Industries Group, LLC, which can turn recycled PET into polyester for use in carpeting.

Check out the links below for more info, lesson plans, and more!

Posters to promote plastic bottle bans can be downloaded here: http://www.p2pays.org/BannedMaterials/PlasticBottles/Artwork.asp and http://www.re3.org/graphics.htm for general recycling and here http://www.re3.org/stickers.htm

·          Facts about plastic bottles and other recyclables can be found here: http://www.re3.org/facts.htm (scroll down for plastic)

·          100 plastic bottles thrown away a second sign: PlasticBottleStringSign.pdf

·          Frequently Asked Questions about plastic bottles: http://www.p2pays.org/BannedMaterials/PlasticBottles/docs/FAQs.pdf

·          Lesson plans:

o         http://www.k6edu.com/2ndgrade/social_studies/recycling.html

o         http://www.itv.scetv.org/guides/Eye%20Wonder/1%20Plastic%20Bottles.pdf

o         http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonplans/recycling/

o         http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/TrashGoesToSchool/TrashIntro.html

o         (upper grade levels) http://www.deliberating.org/Lessons_Recycling.pdf

o         http://www.theteachersguide.com/Recyclinglessonplans.htm

o         http://www.epa.gov/teachers/waste.htm

Energy Initiatives

We are reviewing our current energy management policies with the intention of focusing on the following:

• Developing a resource management strategy
• Demonstrating commitment to efficiently managing resources 
• Measuring and tracking results
• Training staff
• Designing energy efficient buildings
• Identifying opportunities for financing resource management initiatives
• Involving others in managing resources