About

Sustainability

Sustainability in Our Dining Services

Since January 2019, Shipley’s Avery Silverman Dining Hall has been a certified three-star Green Restaurant. Shipley was one of six schools in Pennsylvania to achieve certification from the Green Restaurant Association.  
 
Highlights of Shipley’s 3 Star Certified Green Restaurant® recognition include:
  • All food scraps, as well as disposable utensils, cups, plates, and bowls, are composted. 
  • Customized waste receptacles encourage diners to sort recyclables, compostable materials, and landfill items.
  • Minimal use of single-serve plastics. 
  • 81% of lights are LEDs, which use up to 90% less energy, last longer, contain no mercury, and emit fewer greenhouse gases than incandescent bulbs.
  • Menus include plentiful vegetarian or vegan food offerings, which require significantly less energy and water to produce than meat-based food offerings.
  • A rainwater catchment and reuse system conserves water, prevents stormwater run-off, and allows the reuse of water for on-site irrigation.
 
Shipley partners with SAGE Dining Services and Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants to help lead its sustainability efforts. Since the beginning of the academic year in September 2018, the Avery Silverman Dining Hall has decreased the percentage of waste that goes to the landfill and increased the percentage of recyclables and compostable materials. Compostable materials are taken to Linvilla Orchards. Shipley is SAGE’s first school to achieve a GRA certification.
 
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Sustainability in Facilities

At Shipley, we see energy conservation, wastewater management, and efficient temperature control as our responsibility within our community and in the wider world. 
 
Our green facilities include: 
  • The Shipley Commons, home to our Green Restaurant certified cafeteria, is itself a LEED Silver certified building, featuring recycled and locally sourced building materials, radiant floor heating, windows that reflect and retain heat, and durable materials that keep waste out of landfills.
  • The Commons also features a solar array that offsets campus energy costs.
  • As of spring 2018, 100% of Shipley’s electricity comes from renewable sources.
  • Green roofs on Learning and Resource Center and the Squash Courts regulate indoor temperature to save energy usage; capture and utilize rainwater; and encourage biodiversity.
  • The turf fields are designed to collect rainwater and percolate it into the ground, preventing flooding on the field and nearby areas.
  • Energy-efficient lighting. As of spring 2019, 75% of lighting in the Upper School and 50% in the Middle School are LED lighting. 
  • Heating and Cooling include staged systems and smart thermostats to conserve energy.
 

Sustainability in Our Community

At Shipley, every member of the community is invited to share in our commitment to the environment. During the 2018-2019 school year, major events included:
  • Waste Watcher Initiative, which engaged students in all three divisions as waste sorting coaches.
  • Environmental games and information resources 
  • Low-waste and plant-based menu offerings
  • Shipley’s own “Bag Monster,” who shows us just how many plastic bags we use in a year. 
  • Drives for books, used markers, paper, clothing, and sports equipment, which diverted significant waste from landfills to recycling and reuse for the wider good.
 

Sustainability in Student Life

Shipley students have the opportunity to learn about and take action in caring for the environment. Student opportunities include: 
  • Environmental clubs in our Upper School and Middle School
  • Low-waste snack and lunch and on-site composting in our Lower School 
  • Courses on Environmental Science and Sustainability in the 21st Century in our Upper School
  • Sustainability-oriented units in major courses throughout the school 
 
814 Yarrow Street
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

Phone: 610-525-4300
Fax: 610-525-5082
The Shipley School is a private, coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.