Sustainability in Action: Student-Led Initiatives at ISL

At the International School of Lausanne (ISL), sustainability is not just a buzzword—it is a collective commitment driven by student passion, innovation, and initiative. Across both Middle School and High School, student-led services and societies are actively contributing to a greener, more responsible school environment. From reducing food waste to influencing local infrastructure, these projects reflect the values of environmental awareness, collaboration, and long-term impact. Here is a look at the key sustainability initiatives currently making waves at ISL.

The Eco Society: A Driving Force for Change

Supervised by Ms Baker | High School

The Eco Society is a well-established and influential environmental group that is constantly looking for new ways to make the school more sustainable.
This year, the group launched various projects ranging from small initiatives to more strategic proposals. For example, students and staff were invited to bring their own reusable plates and cutlery to International Day lunch instead of using single-use items. This idea came after discovering that over 1000 disposable items were thrown out on that day in the past.
Another initiative involved adding a “sustainability” criterion to the Wacky Week judging process. This ensured the use of more sustainable materials for both fancy dress and decorations tied to the secret theme.
Some of the larger projects include the current process of installing more bike racks on campus to encourage the ISL community to ride bikes and reduce traffic, as well as our CO₂ emissions.
Finally, the Eco Society’s main project this year has been researching the global sustainability alliance ‘Eco-Schools’ and proposing it to Mr Cairns. The group believes that joining Eco-Schools will help foster environmental awareness, develop more sustainable projects, and raise awareness of both local and global environmental issues. It would also provide the school with international recognition for its efforts.

Next Steps: The Eco Society aims to formalise ISL’s membership with the Eco-Schools alliance and continuing with future projects to help the school become a healthier and more sustainable environment.

Gardening Project: Growing a Greener Future

Supervised by Mr Aldersey and Ms Farden | Middle and High School

The Gardening Project is an after-school activity (ASA) open to all students who are interested in helping out in the ISL Garden. The group often cooks food from the produce they grow.

At the ISL Garden, the team is committed to creating a sustainable and eco-friendly school that looks and feels welcoming to all community members. They engage with their environment—and each other—by doing things such as weeding and planting new fruits and vegetables in the vegetable beds.

During the winter, when there is less opportunity to work outside, the group focuses on cooking the produce grown in the garden. One example of this was making butternut squash soup. Now that spring is approaching, they have started moving more of their activities outdoors, with a focus on maintaining the outdoor space, pruning, and supporting the pond.

Next Steps: Upcoming plans include the renovation of the North Campus grass patches by adding colourful and sustainable plants, and building a new pond.

Eco Activism: Turning Awareness into Advocacy

Supervised by Mr Printer | High School

The Eco Activism group is focused on getting active in the community regarding sustainable changes by engaging with politicians.

Currently, the group is contacting politicians via email to try to add bike lanes around ISL. This idea was in response to an article that criticised the school for the amount of traffic it causes in the mornings. The group hopes that through these efforts, they will be able to make positive, long-lasting changes that will benefit both the school and the local community.

Align Against Food Waste: Small Steps, Big Impact

Supervised by Mr Carville | Middle and High School

Align Against Food Waste is a service group dedicated to making a change in the school by reducing the amount of food that unnecessarily goes to waste in our community—and also globally.

The group wants to support people to encourage them to continue these initiatives in their own homes. The students are committed to helping save the planet one small step at a time. Through collaboration and innovation, they aim to achieve a lasting impact.

They noticed that a large portion of lunches is routinely thrown away, especially in the North Campus cafeteria. Many people throw out more than half of the food they buy. To better understand the problem, the group conducted a preliminary survey. One issue identified is that many people throw away garbage with the food or aluminium in the trash can, which prevents the school from being able to recycle properly.

Next Steps: The team plans to send out a survey to all secondary students to learn more about their experience with the cafeteria and gather suggestions on what the school community could do better.

Green Unity Project: Connecting the Dots

Supervised by Ms Smith | High School

The Green Unity Project focuses on improving communication between the various eco service groups and the larger school community. Their goal is to inform people about the sustainability initiatives happening at ISL, encourage participation, and promote a positive message around eco-friendly actions.

This year, they organised a High School assembly featuring guest speakers. The purpose of the assembly was to update the student body on current projects and to show how young people can make a difference, even when they feel powerless.

The group also attended a sustainability conference at Aiglon College. The event offered the opportunity to see what other schools are doing and to exchange ideas. It also inspired the team to consider hosting a similar event at ISL.

Next Steps: Continue developing communication strategies and explore the possibility of hosting a sustainability conference at ISL.

Looking Ahead

Each of these projects demonstrates the initiative, responsibility, and creativity of ISL students when it comes to tackling environmental challenges. Whether by building ponds, organising community-wide events, or reaching out to local policymakers, these groups are making a real difference.

As the school continues its journey toward greater sustainability, these student-led efforts will play an important role in shaping a healthier and more environmentally conscious future for all.

We look forward to seeing what these groups accomplish next.

We are proud of our students’ dedication and look forward to supporting their continued impact.