Mother McAuley High School: Promoting Sustainable School-Wide Changes
Students: 20
Staff: 1
Project type: Waste Reduction
Location: Chicago
Grade levels: High School
The Mother McAuley environmental science club EcoMacs worked towards three major goals: first, replacing or eliminating the materials used by the school cafeteria and student lounge cafe in favor of more reusable or sustainable alternatives. Second, they created a "Green Corner" at McAuley to promote recycling, where students and faculty can bring electronic waste and battery waste. Third, they organized Earth Day events to promote environmental awareness among the student body, including seed planting, campus cleanup, and a screening of The Lorax.
The EcoMacs worked with kitchen staff to replace styrofoam soup containers with new compostable materials. They also pitched the idea of reusable cups in the student lounge cafe, Kitty Mac Cafe, and though the proposal was rejected this year due to COVID restrictions, Kitty Mac Cafe is open to considering reusable cups in the future.
The EcoMacs also want to expand on the recycling options in the Green Corner and throughout the school, and host a community-wide e-waste drive in the 2022 fall semester.