Sustainability

Increased efforts in sustainability are being found on a daily basis across divisions and departments, bringing to the attention of the entire Lovett community that it is easy--and important--to be green.

Indeed, Lovett's new Strategic Plan Lovett calls for us to pursue environmental sustainability and practice environmental stewardship in carrying out the plan's goals. Beyond having a positive effect on the environment, Lovett students are learning from their surroundings, practicing sustainability, and making respect for the environment second nature.

Carpooling

This fall, by linking our online Parent/Student Directory and Google maps, Lovett's website will feature a carpool finder that allows parents to search a radius from their chosen address for other potential carpooling parents.

Biodiesel Fuel Initiative

Lovett has a "mini refinery" on campus to convert waste cooking oil from the cafeteria's kitchen into biodiesel fuel. The fuel is used to power 100 percent of the school's diesel maintenance vehicles, which are used daily by the Physical Plant staff. As of January 2010, Lovett has produced 1,232 gallons of biodiesel fuel. It costs Lovett $1.17/gallon to produce the biofuel.

Lovett students are learning from their surroundings, practicing sustainability, and making respect for the environment second nature.

To convert the oil into fuel, Lovett heats the oil to change its viscosity. Then ethanol and potassium hydroxide are added to the heated oil and the mixture is agitated in a pump. This step separates out the glycerin that is then drained off, leaving the fuel. After "washing" the fuel with water, it is ready for use. The glycerin byproduct from the process is currently being stored for later donation to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, which will use the glycerin to power a building they are constructing. The water used to clean the fuel is reused for landscape irrigation.

Lovett's biodiesel production saves Lovett money related to fuel costs, reduces emissions, and keeps the used cooking oil out of the waste stream. In time, plans are to replace all gasoline powered equipment with electric units.

Gold-LEED Certification

Lovett recently opened its~new 75,000-square-foot Middle School, for which we have achieved Gold certification based on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. A program of the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED evaluates a building's environmental performance on five factors: site selection, water efficiency, energy use, material and resource use, and indoor air quality. A green roof serves as outdoor classrooms and showcases an innovative system for harvesting rainwater for irrigation. Solar hot water, bamboo flooring, carpet with recycled content, and daylight sensors are some of the many sustainable features that are part of this new “green” school.

Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling

Lovett contracts with two vendors to properly dispose of the paper, cardboard, plastics, and aluminum that are collected in bins and drop-off points throughout campus. On a monthly basis, Lovett recycles 1.6 tons on paper and corrugated cardboard, the equivalent of saving 325 trees. Students and faculty are reducing the amount of paper they generate, as well, by turning in papers and assignments electronically. This is especially true in the fourth grade laptop program, where much of the work is done online. Most of the paper used in the school's printers, copiers, and publications are recycled post-consumer waste, and more than 380 pounds of plastic and 160 pounds of metal are recycled in an average month, as well. In addition, Lovett recycles 9-volt, AA, AAA, and vehicle batteries.

Students and faculty are aiding in this effort, heading up teams of volunteers after athletic events to pick up plastic bottles that were inadvertently left behind. Students also work to reduce the number of plastic bottles that are used in the first place. All students can now bring (or purchase them for a discount at school) their own reusable plastic bottles and refill them for free using the cold filtered water dispensers in the Lions Den Cafe and the Dining Room.

Sustainability Plan

Lovett has a Sustainability Committee that includes faculty, administrators, students, parents, and representatives from the business community. The committee's mission is to help develop a sustainability plan for the school, and to support Lovett's efforts to raise environmental awareness and promote ecological stewardship. 

To assist the committee in their efforts, Lovett applied for and received a grant from the Sustainable Non-Profits Project, a program of Southface Energy Institute undertaken with private funding from the Kendeda Fund. The project's purpose is to help Atlanta-area non-profit organizations to adopt best-management practices in sustainability. Lovett was chosen, along with The Galloway School and Pace Academy, to work collaboratively to influence successful, long-term change toward sustainability both within and outside their respective schools.

For more information on joining the committee, contact Bill Dunkel.

Organic Gardening

Lovett has its own organic garden on campus. A Lovett botany teacher is teaching his students about planting, harvesting, and sustainable food production. The students have been amazed to watch the literal fruits of their labor grow in front of their eyes, and many have taken to eating produce they may never have otherwise tried.

The garden planting begins with fall crops like broccoli, mustards, kale, and collards. These are grown from seed at the beginning of the school year and then transplanted to the garden. Because these fall crops are ‘frost tolerant,’ these plants can survive winter in the garden.

In February, the students begin ramping up for the spring plantings, which involve a long planning and growth process. Lovett teaches “Planting 101” from scratch. The students make their own soil, which teaches them what soil amendments, nutrients, and dirt make good soil, and how to ensure good drainage, as the seeds germinate in the greenhouse. Summer crops include tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, sweet potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and zucchini. Herbs, such as basil, oregano, sage, and cilantro, are also grown from seed. It is the responsibility of the students to keep all greenhouse plants alive through April, at which point they are moved to the Lovett garden or sold at Lovett’s plant sale.

The students plot out the garden and plan in advance, measuring how many plants can be placed in the square feet available. Through the support of Lovett’s food service program, food from Lovett’s organic garden has already been served in the Dining Hall!

We look forward to tasting more fresh, Lovett-grown produce as the garden program grows.

Dining Hall

Lovett's Dining Hall has lessened its dependence on and usage of frozen fruits and vegetables in exchange for locally grown, farm-fresh produce. Right now, the goal is to buy the produce from growers within the Southeast region. By choosing to eat local produce, we can enjoy the highest quality and taste, support environmental sustainability, avoid toxic pesticides, and support local economies.

The Dining Hall has also stopped using trays. This saves resources by: reducing water usage and resources to heat water for washing trays (1,150 gallons of water per day are saved by being trayless); using less chemicals for cleaning; and cutting down on waste. People tend to take only the food they will eat if they are carrying each plate.

Recycled Carpet

The carpet in the lobby of the Hendrix-Chenault Theater has been replaced with carpet made from recycled materials! Interface, our supplier and a global leader in the manufacture of environmentally responsible floor coverings and other textiles, has a carpet reclamation program where carpet is collected from sites across the U.S. The program reclaims pounds of used carpet and vinyl backing, keeping the product out of landfills and using it to make new carpet. Additionally, the carpet does not contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are a variety of chemicals emitted as gases, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects (think of the smell with new carpet or paint). And, the carpet is installed in tiles, so one can replace individual, worn-out or stained carpet tiles without tearing up a whole section of carpeting, reducing waste even more!

Audubon Designation

The Lovett School has achieved designation as a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP), an Audubon International program. The Lovett School is the first in Georgia and the twelfth school in the nation to receive this high honor.

Schools in the program protect our natural heritage through stewardship projects that enhance wildlife habitat and conserve natural resources on school grounds. The emphasis of the program is on helping students not only learn about the environment, but also care for wildlife, water, plants, and natural resources close to home. Participation teaches respect and responsibility, while boosting science learning and environmental knowledge.

Printing

The majority of Lovett's printed publications are produced on environmentally friendly paper. For example, the Lovett magazine, our flagship publication for alumni, parents, and friends, is printed on paper that is 100 percent recycled, processed chlorine free and consists of 50 percent post-consumer waste fiber. The Lovett Lines newsletter is printed on Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper that is made from 100 percent post-consumer waste fiber and manufactured with Green-e Certified renewable wind energy--saving 113 trees per year. Both of the publications are produced by a commercial printer that is Forest Stewardship Council certified, indicating responsible use of forest resources through the chain-of-custody, from forest to customer.

Wind Turbine

Lovett's Physical Plant has installed a wind turbine to generate electricity on campus. Power generated is pumped back into the utility grid with the intent of offsetting consumption of our electric utility vehicles. In time, plans are to replace all gasoline powered Gator utility vehicles with electric units. The turbine is manufactured by Skystream of Flagstaff Arizona and will produce 200-400 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power per month with an average of 8-12 mph of wind. Historic data will be collected to track power production of the turbine for classroom purposes. Production of 200-400 kWh of power per month will avoid 1.62-3.24 tons of CO2 annually.

Siempre Verde

In 1991, Lovett purchased a piece of cloudforest property in Ecuador for the purpose of creating a protected preserve and establishing a research center to support tropical conservation education. The 850-acre "Siempre Verde" offers U.S. and Ecuadorian students an opportunity to learn conservation methods through research and the exchange of ideas. Alternative means of earning a living--rather than cutting the forests for timber, pasture, or for crops--are a central education issue.

Baseball/Softball Complex Wins Conservation Award

Lovett has recently completed construction on a baseball/softball complex. The ball fields are part of Lovett’s long-term campus master plan, which addresses the school's needs for additional playing fields. Lovett received one of two top national awards from the National Association of Irrigation Consultants for water management and conservation practices for the baseball/softball field project.
The fields include 8.5 acres of grass. Lovett installed a water harvesting system underneath the fields to use for irrigation. All rain water from the fields and parking lot drain to a cistern that holds 56,000 gallons of water, which is enough for one week of irrigation.