|
Non-Toxic Products
Level Three: Creating or Improving Policies
Non-Toxic
Product Facts
To receive the Level Three award for Non-Toxic Products,
your Green Flag Team must:
(If you have an existing IAQ program in your school, skip
to #4)
1. Find out what needs to be done:
- Talk with the Green Flag Program Coordinator to review your level
two survey and discuss how you can implement a NTP Policy.
- Research Non-Toxic Products policies
already in place in some schools.
- Create a detailed plan, with the help of school administrators and
custodial staff to propose and create a NTP policy.
- Working with your school’s facility and maintenance people, identify
safe products
your school can purchase.
- Write a letter to your school’s current cleaning product supplier
asking if they carry environmentally preferable products and, if not,
whether they will consider carrying them. (See sample letter in NTP
resource packet.)
2. Present your ideas to decision makers
- Make written recommendations to school decision makers, based on the
health risks of toxic products, successful NTP policies in other schools,
the proposed cost comparisons, etc.
- Prepare to make a presentation to decision makers. Research non-toxic
alternatives. Make notes to help you clearly explain your points and
the alternatives you’ve found. Prepare materials to give to decision
makers, and a letter explaining the changes that you want to see in
school policy and purchasing to improve the situation.
- Make a presentation to decision makers, such as the principal, school
board, or PTA. In order to make sure your case is well heard, bring
along many people that support you and your team. At the end of the
meeting, present your policy change request letter, and thank the decision-makers
for meeting with you.
3. Implement an NTP program or policy at your school and
document the changes
- Your school must have implemented a program of policy for at least
three months before you can apply for the Green Flag level three award.
- You must also perform one Classroom
Activity to support the program.
- Submit documentation to show that your policy is being carried out,
such as purchasing orders and invoices for new products etc.
4. Rewards for Level Three:
- The patch for Non-Toxic Produts to add to your Flag.
- A certificate of acheivement from the CHEJ Green Flag School Program.
- A description of the activities of your Green Flag team will be posted
on the Green Flag website.
Track Your
Progress
The "Track Your Progress" charts are a new feature of the Green Flag
School Program. The progress sheet is an online tracking page which lists
each step in the program, and includes a space for the user to enter their
activity for that step. They may do this online, hit enter once they have
finished, and it is then sent to us to keep in your file. If you prefer,
you may print out the progress sheets, fill them in by hand, and send
them in to the Green Flag School Coordinator. We hope that this will help
you document your teams progress and see how many steps you have to go
until you win your Green Flag Patch. Check it out by clicking on Track
Your Progress!
Non-Toxic
Products Resources
|
