Sustainability at
British International School Tbilisi
Sustainability is an important issue for many schools, and the British International School Tbilisi (BIST) is no exception. The school has taken a number of steps to ensure that it is as sustainable as possible, with a keen interest in making it more sustainable.
The buses that transport students to and from the school are in-house buses, meaning that no external companies are used. Maximising bus use amongst students and staff helps to reduce the school’s carbon footprint. The food that is eaten by the students is all prepared and made in-house, and all produce is sourced from local suppliers. To ensure that nothing edible goes to waste, the school ensures that any food that is not eaten is taken to a local pig farm.
The school’s architect is LMC, a company that is passionate about sustainability, and has a commitment to creating sustainable architectural designs. The school uniform provider is Nikoli, a local supplier, which helps the school maintain a green ethos. The school also takes part in a waste paper recycling project.
For all the paper that we recycle, the school is sent the same weight back in books for our school library. In 2022-2023 school year, the library was given over 50 new books for students. BIST also has a specific outdoor learning lesson in which students learn about how to be sustainable at home and how to use outdoor resources for different purposes, as well as sustainability being intertwined within our primary and secondary curriculum. The school also has other collections such as batteries, bottle tops and clothes all for recycling.
BIST also hosted the Beyond COP21 Symposium for students and adults in 2023. We have planted over 1,000 trees in the last five years alone within our local community. Overall, BIST has made a commitment to sustainable practices, and it is clear that our efforts are paying off.
