At Abington Friends School (AFS), sustainability isn’t just a concept, it’s something that students are actively engaging with and exploring. Under the direction of Middle School science teacher Virginia Friedman, 7th-grade students took on a hands-on sustainability challenge: identifying areas where the school could reduce waste and become more environmentally responsible.
Virginia Friedman (center) provides a project overview to administrators, while 7th grade students orient themselves at their presentation stations. (Source: Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants)
Over the course of the winter learning unit, “Humans and the Environment,” students used systems thinking tools to analyze AFS, conducted a waste audit, and explored real-world solutions. Their work culminated in a final presentation to school administrators, where they shared creative, research-backed proposals for making AFS a more sustainable campus.
Investigating Waste at AFS
Students began their research by examining waste systems at AFS to discover how materials flow through the school and where inefficiencies exist. With the help of Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants, the students started this process with two hands-on activities:
A waste audit to measure daily waste production at AFS and identify what could be diverted through recycling or composting.
A "binventory" to analyze the placement and effectiveness of recycling and landfill bins across campus.
One of AFS’s Student Group’s Example of systems thinking using the “iceberg model.” (Source: Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants)
Along with these activities, students interviewed staff, peers, and faculty to better understand AFS as a system. They also studied "zero waste" communities and learned about "induced demand," the idea that simply adding more trash bins might actually encourage more waste. From these investigations, students chose specific projects to focus on, each addressing a sustainability issue at AFS.
To structure their findings, teacher Virginia directed students to use the Iceberg Model, a framework for analyzing systems. Instead of only looking at visible issues, such as overflowing bins or contaminated recycling, the tool encourages students to look deeper to identify underlying patterns, policies and structures, and mindsets that contribute to waste problems on campus and throughout society.
Once students had a sense of the underlying factors that contributed to their issue, they then worked within the Iceberg to create a solution, noting on Post-its how their ideas could improve the larger system.
Student-Led Sustainability Solutions
A student group uses their iceberg model and graphics to present their proposal to staff members. (Source: Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants)
On February 18th, AFS administrators gathered to hear the culmination of the student’s hard work and ideas in a science fair-style presentation, where each group shared their research and solutions. Students used slides, posters of their iceberg model, and interactive elements to showcase their proposals, with administrators moving between stations to learn about each project.
“Early in the unit I had a student express doubt that the adults would listen to their ideas because we’re just kids,” notes Friedman, “so it was incredibly exciting to see both the students and school leaders engaging in real conversations about how to improve the school community. Some groups had even contacted composting companies that we could partner with to address our food waste issue.”
Some of the standout proposals included:
Reducing Coffee Pod Waste – AFS currently uses 2,710 non-compostable coffee pods annually. Students proposed switching to reusable pods for Keurig machines and using reusable coffee filters for drip coffee makers.
Minimizing Paper Use – With AFS consuming 725,000 sheets of printer paper per year, students suggested switching to recycled-content paper to reduce deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions.
Replacing Single-Use Plastics – Students recommended swapping plastic utensils (which come from fossil fuels) for bamboo utensils and buying them in bulk to reduce costs and waste.
Standardizing Waste & Recycling Bins – AFS generates about 18,000 lbs of waste per academic year, but contaminated recycling bins make it harder to divert waste properly. Students suggested:
Color-coding landfill and recycling bins for clarity.
Adding clear signage with photos of actual items used in the AFS cafeteria.
Involving the Upper School art program in designing bins and signs to engage the AFS community.
Starting an Environmental Action & Composting Club – AFS’s operations staff already has a lot of responsibility, so students suggested a specific student club to help maintain and expand recycling and composting efforts internally.
Lost & Found Pop-Up Shop – Unclaimed lost-and-found items often go to waste. Students proposed hosting a pop-up shop where students and families could "adopt" lost items, with leftovers donated to GreenDrop.
Reducing Litter & Improving Outdoor Bin Placement – Students suggested reviewing where outdoor bins are placed to optimize their use and encouraging peers to “pick up one piece of trash after recess.”
Both students and staff alike enjoyed the systems-based approach that connected patterns at AFS to larger sustainability issues in the world, as demonstrated in the iceberg model. Throughout the event, administrators asked thoughtful questions, encouraging students to consider the feasibility of their proposals and potential next steps. “One of my favorite parts of the project was creating my iceberg model and researching how student’s small acts at AFS can affect the amount of waste we produce as a school,” one 7th grader noted.
By engaging in meaningful discussions and presenting their ideas to decision-makers, these 7th graders proved that small changes can lead to a big impact. The student-led approach showcased their ownership of their involvement in AFS’s waste system and reinforced the idea that sustainability starts with both individual and collective action. The hope is that their recommendations will inspire ongoing efforts to make AFS a model for sustainability, one thoughtful action at a time.
Article by Sam Dickman, University of Michigan ‘23, Sustainability Intern for Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants
