Here at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, environmental matters combined with our values of innovation and advocacy have resulted in a robust community of students and staff dedicated to reducing Poly's ecological footprint and teaching environmental issues across a wide range of classes.

In 2016, Poly was certified as a Maryland Green School, a prestigious award that required the entire school to participate in environmental activities, incorporate green learning into classrooms, and improve Poly's facilities to be more environmentally-friendly. Check out our Green Schools application online!

Some examples of sustainability in action on our campus include:

• the solar panel array that powers our aquaponics lab

• "smart lights" in every classroom (motion-sensitive lights that power off automatically)

• native trees planted around grounds

• a pollinator garden in our outdoor courtyard, creating habitat for native bees and butterflies

• food gardens managed by our JROTC program

Poly has an expanding recycling program, headed by the Recycling Club, which meets Tuesdays and Thursdays after school to collect recycling from classrooms and from around the building. 

Every classroom at Poly has a yellow recycling bin. Please put only paper and cardboard in these bins. Teachers, please set your bins outside your rooms on Tuesdays and Thursdays for collection.

Additionally, there is a cans and bottles recycling bin in the front of the building. This bin is emptied periodically. Please put only cans and bottles in this bin.

Let us know if you have any advice on how to improve recycling at Poly! Email Claire Wayner, Environment Club president.

Poly hosts a number of student groups dedicated to helping the environment, including:

• the Arctic Research Club, which partners with other local educational institutions to travel to the Arctic and conduct climate change research

• the Environment Club, Poly's leading environmental student group
  Mondays, room 235

• the Recycling Club, which collects mixed recycling from around the buildings
  Tuesdays & Thursdays, room 235

• the Aquaponics Club, which runs the school's state-of-the-art aquaponics facility (powered by solar energy)
  Wednesdays, room 164

You don't need to join a club at Poly to be environmentally friendly! Consider incorporating these sustainable sustaianable practices into your life.

At School:

• Recycle your paper in the classroom bins and your bottles/cans at the front of the building.

• Bring a reusable water bottle to refill at our water coolers.

• Ask your teacher to turn off some of the lights in the classroom to save energy.

• Bring reusable containers to lunch instead of sandwich baggies.

• Carpool to school if you get a ride. If you are close enough, consider biking or walking.

• Ask your teacher to teach a lesson outdoors one day (the courtyard across the street from the auditorium has some nice benches).

At Home:

• Turn off the water when not using it.

• Turn off your lights to save electricity.

• Wash your clothes with cold water (not hot water).

• Plant a tree in your yard or on your street.

• Turn off your computer and electronics when not using them (even sleep mode uses lots of electricity).

• Recycle at home! Check out Baltimore City's recycling rules, and check your curbside pickup date.

If you have any questions about how to help Poly in its mission to be a sustainable school, contact Claire Wayner, the president of the Environment Club. You can also check out Environment Club meetings in room 235 on Mondays after school.