Environmental management actions at Dante
An educational institution that strives to train citizens who are aware of their social and environmental context and active in transformations that bring collective benefits to the population needs to set an example. That is why, at Dante, taking care of resource’s that belong to everyone, as well as of one other as a society, is institutional policy.
With specific regard to environmental management, in recent years the school has made progress in measuring results. And, more than just setting up processes that flow effectively, it is essential to make them available to the service of the education not only of the students but also of the entire school community.
Rainwater Collection | Selective Waste Collection | Composting | Dante x Ecoloop | LED Lamps | Solar Energy Panels | Green Roof | A Small Zoo Garden
Rainwater Collection
Since January 2017, four reservoirs installed near the school bus parking lot have been storing rainwater. The total catchment capacity is 28,800 liters, and the water from backwashing the artesian well that supplies the school (at least 3,000 liters per week) is also destined for them. The entire bus fleet and courtyards, as well as part of the gardens, are washed and watered using reused water.
Selective Waste Collection
Established at Dante a few years ago, selective collection guarantees the correct disposal of recyclable materials discarded not only during the school term but also during school vacations, when repairs and renovations are carried out. The school has a cleaning team trained to sort and compact the materials. The money from the sale of the materials is shared among the staff at the end of each year.
Composting
Some of what isn’t recyclable becomes compost. Since October 2014, 90% of the organic waste produced at the school is no longer destined for a landfill but instead goes through a composting process. In 2016, 23 tons of waste were composted. Some of this material is donated to institutions such as Quintal da Criança (Maria Flos Carmeli Association), located in Rua do Glicério. What remains at Dante is destined for an organic vegetable garden.
Dante X Ecoloop
Equipment installed at Trianon Park for automated collection of recyclable materials (plastic bottles, aerosol, aluminum cans and tetrapak). When inserting the packaging, it is possible to generate credits or donate an amount to NGOs, directly through the machine system. Find out more by clicking here!
LED Lamps
The entire school premises (95%) have LED bulbs, which have better energy performance and are produced with materials that, at the end of their service life, are less aggressive to the environment. The replacement of classroom lighting was completed in 2016, totaling 7,000 new bulbs.
Solar Energy Panels
Since July 2017, Dante has had a photovoltaic energy generation system. The solar panels have been installed on the roofs of the Michelangelo building and the beehive in the Leonardo da Vinci building. The system has a power of 65 kw/h and produces 10% to 15% of the school’s energy demand.
Green Roof
In an area of over 5,000 square feet of the Ruy Barbosa building, there is an organic vegetable garden. Beet, carrots, eggplant, cabbage, lettuce, rocket, ora-pro-nóbis, pumpkin, basil, and medicinal herbs such as guaco, capim-santo, and lemon balm are just some of the many species grown there. The produce is donated to partner institutions. There are more than 150 different species of plants, as well as an orchid nursery.
A Small Zoo Garden
Dante has a Natural History Museum with a collection of over 2,500 items for biological study, as well as more than 300 species of live animals rescued by Ibama and the Department of Greenery and the Environment that cannot return to their natural habitat. Part of the collection has been at the school since the 1950s. In 2017, it was granted zoo status by these regulatory bodies. And in 2019, it received an animal welfare certificate from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums of Brazil (Azab), for complying with welfare standards in the keeping and handling of wild animals.
VOA (Volunteers in Action – Social and Environmental Impact)
Colégio Dante Alighieri has a tradition almost as old as the school: promoting social actions. These initiatives range from collection campaigns, such as those for food and clothing, which are so necessary given the ongoing shortages of part of the Brazilian population, to more long-term actions, such as the adoption of organizations.
Many initiatives were born out of the willingness and cooperation of the staff themselves, who carried them out independently, without any coordination from the school, and, not infrequently, with no internal or external publicity.
In order to make these actions more visible and efficient, by coordinating them in an organic and coordinated way, Colégio Dante proposed the creation of an internal volunteer committee. Since August 2021, a group of students and collaborators (teachers and administrative staff) have been meeting on Fridays at 3 p.m. to create, expand, and boost the school’s actions aimed at volunteering and sustainability. The committee, named VOA (Volunteers in Action—Social and Environmental Impact), is in the process of structuring its WGs (working groups), which will work on different fronts, from strategic planning to publicizing and building relationships with NGOs and other partners, as well as carrying out internal actions such as fundraising campaigns involving the entire Dantian community.
Among other inspirations and models, the VOA is based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the 2030 Agenda.
