KEEP SWEDEN TIDY - Håll Sverige Rent

THE 

KEEP 

SWEDEN 

TIDY 

FOUNDATION 

SCHOOL AND PRESCHOOL 

Communicating 

Environmental 

Actions to Children 

and Youth 

English Summary 

The project Communicating 

Environmental Actions to Children 

and Youth is partly financed by 

the EU fund LIFE+ 

2009–2011 

school and preschool – the keep sweden tidy foundation 1

PHOTO: MAGNUS NORRMAN 

“Looking back I can 

see that we have taken 

on the challenge with 

brilliant results, and 

that the project has 

created hope for our 

common future.” 

lina lundström, project manager, 

the keep sweden tidy foundation 

2 the keep sweden tidy foundation – school and preschool 

Give Children and Youth 

the Tools to Create and 

Live in a Sustainable World! 

we are happy to now, after three years, be able to show our results from the project that 

we have carried out with the help of regional coordinators throughout the country. As Project 

Manager, I would like to thank everyone that has made it possible for us to meet such 

an incredible number of teachers, headmasters, and others working within the school and 

preschool sector. It is a privilege to meet so many dedicated people, and so many who are 

willing to change their lifestyle to give our children a good future. We, who have been working 

in the project, will remember all the people who have made this project possible. 

the keep sweden tidy foundation is a non-profit organization and has been between the 

years 2009–2011 carried out the project “Communicating Environmental Actions to Children 

and Youth” (Com-U). The aim of the Com-U project is to give as many children and youth 

as possible the tools, knowledge and courage to work for a sustainable world, where there 

are enough resources for everybody, today and in the future. 

By using the EU environmental policy and the Swedish national environmental objectives 

as starting points, the project has received both national and international support, consisting 

both of knowledge and inspiration, as well as financing. 

the highly set goals and the high ambitions have been an incentive and a challenge for 

the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation and all the people involved in the project. Looking back 

I can see that we have taken on the challenge with brilliant results, and that the project has 

created hope for our shared future. 

so thank you to all of you who have participated in the Com-U project. Without all the 

creative, inspiring and competent teachers, co-workers and educational representatives in the 

municipalities all around Sweden, we would never have reached as far as we have. 

EDITORIAL STAFF 

The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation is an opinion forming organization, working to reduce individual littering, promoting recycling and raising 

environmental awareness. The work is pursued by campaigns and projects, as well as by environmental educations and eco-labeling. 

This is an English summary from an education project, partly financed by the EU fund Life+. 

Editors: Lina Lundström and Petra Holgersson. Writers : Eléonore Elfström Fauré, Katarina Hellberg, Lina Lundström, 

Lisa Adelsköld, Ola Jacobsen, Petra Holgersson. Featured on the cover: Anna-Karin Karlsson. Photo: Ola Jacobsen. Graphic design: 

Susanna Bäckman, Tidningsmakarna and Maria Gustavsson, The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation Print: DanagårdLitho. Paper: Insert 115g 

CyclusPrint, cover 300g Cocoon offset. Contact: the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation, Box 4155, 102 64 Stockholm, Sweden, info@hsr.se, 

www.hsr.se, phone: + 46 8 505 263 00.

“There is so much 

happening with 

planet earth. It is 

important to start 

working already 

with the youngest 

children.” 

20 

4 

“It is not tricky 

or difficult at all 

to work with the 

Eco-Schools programme.” 

Facts Inspiration 

4 What has happened 

within the Com-U project? 

6 The Keep Sweden Tidy 

Foundation throughout Sweden! 

7 Political contact person for 

Eco-Schools – an honorary task! 

7 This is going on in the world. 

8 This is how we reach national 

and international objectives 

through the Eco-Schools 

programme. 

8 

12 

10 The municipality of Jönköping 

invests in the environment 

12 Things that are already being 

done in Sundsvall. 

14 Complementing their own objec- 

tives – Eco-Schools in Enköping 

16 Education has speeded up the 

work in Edvalla. 

18 The Eco-Schools programme 

makes the objectives concrete in 

Arentorp. 

20 In Vaxholm, litter is being trans- 

formed into art. 

10 

22 

22 The Eco-Schools programme 

in the Upper Secondary School 

Frans Suell in Malmö. 

24 Environmental cycles and 

chewing gum cultivation in 

Hägersten. 

26 The Lightning Patrol spreads 

competence to act. 

Your Guide to Energy & Climate. 

27 Nature Schools, our invaluable 

partners. 

Eco-Schools on You Tube. 

“During the course of the project, we have visited 209 out of totally 290 municipalities” 

pages 6–7 

school and preschool – the keep sweden tidy foundation 3

Communicating environmental actions to children and youth 

– three years of communication 

Between 2009 and 2011, the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation has carried out the project 

Communicating Environmental Actions to Children and Youth, aiming to give children and 

youth the tools and the competence to act upon the challenges facing humanity, regarding 

environment and sustainability. 

TEXT LINA LUNDSTRÖM PHOTO BJÖRN TESCH/BIGFISH 

the objective has been to reach 260.000 

children and youths through the project. 

With the results at hand, we realize that 

we have done even better, having reached 

340.000 children and youths. The Keep 

Sweden Tidy Foundation has chosen to 

educate teachers, who, in their turn, bring 

the knowledge and the inspiration from 

the courses held by the foundation to 

the children and the pupils. During the 

project the Foundation has been using 

the Eco-Schools programme as a tool to 

implement the EU environmental policy 

in the schools and preschools. Within the 

project, we have cooperated with Nature 

Schools throughout the country. The 

project is partly financed by the EU fund 

Life+. During the course of the project, 

the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation has 

met with many different actors: teachers, 

headmasters, preschool managers, development 

managers, environmental coordinators, 

Agenda 21-coordinators, managing 

directors from the private school and 

preschool sector, as well as other actors 

from the education sector, both national 

and international. 

The Keep Sweden Foundation has been 

able to carry out the project within the 

budget of 2.5 million Euros. The largest 

cost has been external assistance from 

the Nature Schools and other consultants. 

The project has been financed by 

the Life+ fund with 50 percent. 

Courses and seminars 

EU environmental policy course – Step 1 

By providing further education courses to 

more than 2.000 schools and preschools, 

the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation has 

reached thousands of teachers and representatives 

from these sectors. 

4 the keep sweden tidy foundation – school and preschool/facts 

The purpose of the courses has been to 

give representatives from schools and preschools 

the inspiration and support they 

need to be able to introduce and run the 

environmental and sustainability work at 

their schools or preschools. These courses 

have also been attended by headmasters 

and preschool managers, as well as municipal 

coordinators. 

In the long run, the courses are to give 

children and youth qualifications to take 

on the challenges described in the EU environmental 

policy. This should be carried 

out by using the steering documents of 

school and preschool and by using the 

Eco-Schools certification administrated 

in Sweden by The Keep Sweden Tidy 

Foundation. 

EU environmental policy course – Step 2 

At the next step, the Keep Sweden Tidy 

Foundation met with all the personnel of 

a certain school or preschool for an inspirational 

meeting. Through these inspirational 

meetings, the regional coordinators 

and the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation 

have met more than 14.000 teachers from 

more than 1.000 schools and preschools. 

The objective of the meetings has been 

to give schools and preschools the tools 

to work with environmental and sustainability 

issues. The coursed have been designed 

for all the personnel at schools and 

preschools. 

Regional coordination 

Conferences 

During the three years of the project, the 

Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation has, as 

mentioned earlier, cooperated with Nature 

Schools around the country (see page 

27). Thanks to the Nature Schools, which 

have worked as regional coordinators, the 

project has been able to support schools 

and preschools throughout the country. 

This has made it possible for us to achieve 

our goals, and also to become an agent 

active all over the country. The cooperation 

with the Nature Schools has been an 

essential factor for a successful project. 

The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation has 

arranged five conferences for the regional 

coordinators during the project. 

Regional Coordinator Network Meetings 

In all, the regional coordinators (the Nature 

Schools) have arranged 100 network 

meetings during the course of the project. 

The objective of the network meetings has 

been to get schools and preschools in one 

region to interact and to exchange ideas. 

The meetings have been appreciated and 

fully booked throughout the country. The 

Nature Schools that we have cooperated 

with have had a good network already 

before the start of the project. This has facilitated 

the organization of the network 

meetings. 

During the network meetings, the participating 

schools and preschools have 

presented their activities, and how they 

have gone about their work in the Eco- 

Schools programme. They have also 

shared good examples and ideas. 

Information Material 

Films 

To reach out through as many channels as 

possible, we have created three films. The 

films have been put out on YouTube (www. 

youtube.com/hallsverigerent), and have 

been shown at courses and conferences. 

Read more about the films on page 27.

Material 

During the course of the project, the Keep 

Sweden Tidy Foundation has developed 

three materials that support teachers 

when working with environmental and 

sustainability issues. 

• Energy and climate – an educational 

material in sustainable development 

for schools year 6–9. 

An interdisciplinary educational material 

for teachers, with an abundant 

graphic material. The material is divided 

in three sections: Interest rousers, 

Climate, and Energy. There are also 

value exercises giving teachers great opportunities 

to work successfully with 

sustainable development. Some of the 

exercises can be used for examination. 

The material is developed together 

with the Swedish Environmental Protection 

Agency (Naturvårdsverket). 

• Guide for working with climate and 

engery. For compulsory school, year 

1–6. Read more about the guide on 

page 26. 

• Jigsaw puzzle – a material about local 

surroundings for preschools. Read more 

about the jigsaw puzzle on page 26. 


reached 340.000 children through the project. 

The web 

To get a good distribution of the information 

material, the competitions, the films 

etcetera, that are part of the project, it 

has been essential to use our website. The 

Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation has chosen 

to put out all the material and information 

from the project on the website, since, 

according to a survey performed during 

the course of the project, the teachers feel 

this facilitates their work. 

Competitions 

During the project, we have held two 

competitions, with the aid of Wettex 

(manufacturer of biodegradable dish 

cloths) and Länsförsäkringar Skaraborg 

(Swedish insurance company). 

To create commitment for the Baltic 

Sea, the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation arranged 

a school competition called “What 

goes on under the surface”. School classes 

examined the environment of the Baltic 

Sea, and came up with creative ways 

of sharing their experiences with other 

schools. 

More than 50 contributions were sent 

in. After considering, the jury, consisting 

of the Swedish Environmental Protection 

Agency, Wettex, and the Keep Sweden 

Tidy Foundation pronounced the fourth 

grade class at the Rockneby school in 

Kalmar winner of the competition. Read 

more about the competition “We Care” 

on page 19. 

Newsletter times 3 


sent out three different newsletters, four 

times a year. One of the newsletters has 

been sent to international stakeholders, 

another to our national coordinators, and 

the last one to our network of schools and 

preschools in Sweden. 

The purpose of the international newsletter 

has been to inform about the project 

and the progress of it, in order to give other 

EU-countries the possibility to use the 

experiences made. The newsletter to the 

national coordinators has supported them 

in their work of educating and inspiring 

schools and preschools. The newsletter 

for schools and preschools working with 

the Eco-Schools programme has supported 

and inspired them to proceed in their 

environmental and sustainability work. 

Seminars and Conferences 

An important component to make the 

project successful is the fact that we have 

been constantly updated with what is going 

on in schools and preschools throughout 

Sweden. Another component is that 

Com-U has received help and inspiration 

from other networks and projects run by 

other actors. 

To get a good overview of what is going 

on with the environmental and sustainability 

work in schools and preschools, 

we have, among other things, participated 

in around 30 conferences and seminars. 

International Com-U conference 

To be able to further share the Com-Uproject 

with national and international 

actors, an international conference with 

around 80 participants was arranged. The 

purpose of the conference was to introduce 

the Com-U project so other countries 

and operators could translate the 

project and use it in their own countries. 

At the conference, it was also discussed 

what future cooperation might look like 

and whether there are possibilities of cofinancing 

future projects. a 

school and preschool/facts – the keep sweden tidy foundation 5

Keep Sweden Tidy 

all over Sweden! 

During the three years of the 

project, the Keep Sweden Tidy 

Foundation has held courses in 

209 out of 290 municipalities in 

Sweden. This has been possible 

thanks to the foundation’s 

cooperation with regional 

coordinators, such as Nature 

Schools, throughout the country. 

The regional coordinators have 

been essential to achieve the 

goals of the Com-U project. 

TEXT LINA LUNDSTRÖM 

ILLUSTRATION MARIA GUSTAVSSON 

29.000 is the number of teachers/ 

school personnel/ officials / politicians educated within 

the project. 

9.497 is the number of subscribers 

of the newsletter to the national 

network of schools and preschools. 

Page 18–19. 

Malmö: The Frans 

Suell upper secondary 

school cooks 

sustainable food and 

exchanges clothes, 

page 22–23. 

86.070 is the number of unique visitors 

to the school and preschool pages of the Keep Sweden 

Tidy Foundation website. 

1.130 new 


Page 12–13. 

• 

Page 10–11. 

Municipalities visited and educated within the project. 

For an index of 

the municipalities 

where the project 

has carried out 

education– visit 

www.hsr.se/skola. 

Page 20–21. 

Tierp: Education 

speeded up the 

environmental work 

on the preschool 

Enbacken, page 

16–17. 

Enköping: With support 

by the Eco-Schools 

programme, Härnevi 

Preschool reaches the 

goals of the curriculum, 

page 14–15. 

Page 24–25. 

schools and preschools in the Eco-Schools network.

Being a Political Contact Person is an Honorary Task 

Schools and preschools working 

with the Eco-Schools 

programme choose a political 

contact person in the municipality, 

who will support and 

acknowledge the environmental 

and sustainability work of the 

school or preschool. The political 

contact person is a link between 

the school or preschool 

and the municipality, ensuring 

that the different actors can 

communicate and empower 

each other. The municipality 

learns from the school or preschool 

and vice versa. 

TEXT KATARINA HELLBERG 

International outlook 

In Sweden there are more than 3.000 

schools and preschools working thematically 

with the environment and sustainability 

through the Eco-Schools programme. 

All these activities are supported 

by international directives and legislation. 

In December of 2002, the General Assembly 

of the United Nations decided to proclaim 

a decade of education – 2005–2014 – for 

sustainable development, with UNESCO 

as responsible organization. The year before 

that, and in the beginning of the decade, the 

government chose to put in big recourses for 

schools to invest in research, education and 

further education about sustainable development. 

More and more schools and preschools 

joined the Eco-Schools programme, the certification 

program administrated in Sweden 

by the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation. At 

the same time, the Swedish National Agency 

for Education was commissioned to initiate 

the Sustainable School Award. In November 

2010, the Ministers for Education of the EU 

gathered and agreed on the importance of 

Sverker Ottosson, the 

political contact person 

in Sundsvall: 

“Being a political contact 

person gives you inspiration, 

and new perspectives 

on life and problem 

solving. In my opinion, the concept is spot 

on,” says Sverker Ottosson, municipal 

commissioner for the Swedish Green 

Party, and chairman of the Committee of 

Infrastructure and Service of the Municipal 

Council. 

The Eco-Schools programme ensures 

that at an early age, and in a playful way, 

children will learn about the environment 

and understand their own role in an ecological 

and social context.” 

“When you are in a decision-making 

position, it is important to have a bearing 

on reality, and to have those important 

contacts. As a political contact person I 

get to know what our children and youths 

find important and what they want to 

change, and what daily life is like.” 

sustainable development in schools, and that 

appropriate measures would be taken. 

In 2001, the EU environmental policy 

was launched. It states that EU politics 

and legislation must better reflect environmental 

and sustainability issues, the public 

shall be informed and included and environmental 

concern will be taken when 

planning for cities and development. The 

environmental policy divides environmental 

and sustainability questions in four different 

fields: Climate Change, Nature and Biodiversity, 

Environment and Health, and Natural 

Resources and Waste. The policy suggests actions 

such as developing a strategy for sustainable 

use of natural resources, increasing the 

efficiency in use of natural resources, improving 

systems of waste management etcetera. In 

the EU environmental policy, the EU suggests 

a broad consultation with the governments 

of the candidate countries about sustainable 

development, as well as a close cooperation 

with Non-Governmental Organizations and 

companies in these countries. Measures taken 

Rosa Lundmark, the 

political contact person 

in Vantör: 

“The concept of political 

contact persons within the 

Eco-Schools programme 

is special, because it 

is such a positive task. Usually, being a 

politician means that people often contact 

you when they are dissatisfied and want to 

complain about things. In that respect, this 

assignment is unique.” 

Those are the words of Rosa Lundmark, 

member of the board of the Left Party of 

Sweden in Vantör, and vice president of the 

City District Committee of Enskede-Årsta- 

Vantör in the City of Stockholm. 

“I see this as an honorary task in my work 

as a politician,” says Rosa. 

“It is good for schools and preschools to 

be in contact with the politicians. We have 

a big department with quite a distance between 

the officials and the people who really 

work out there on the floor. We get so many 

papers to plow through, and this is a way 

for me to meet the children and the teachers 

and see a whole new side of things.” a 

to ensure the implementation of the international 

environmental agreements are strongly 

encouraged. 

Grön Flagg (Green Flag) is the Swedish 

name for the Eco-Schools programme, and 

with the Eco-Schools programme you can bee 

awarded the Green Flag. Eco-Schools is run 

by the international organization Foundation 

for Environmental Education (FEE). 

Eco-Schools was initiated in 1992, and 

exists in more than 60 countries all 

over the world. The representatives 

of the different countries meet every 

year for knowledge exchange. 

There are also possibilities for the 

schools and preschools linked to 

Eco-Schools to benefit from other 

projects worldwide, as well as to 

participate in shared projects about 

different themes, such as Climate and Local 

surroundings. This shows that the work with 

the Eco-Schools programme, and with the 

Com-U project receives support at all levels, 

both nationally and internationally. a 


A Tool for National and 

International Objectives 

Working with the Eco-Schools programme, administrated in Sweden by the Keep Sweden 

Foundation, makes schools and preschools integrate sustainable development in their own 

activities and work with national and international environmental objectives. 


TEXT LISA ADELSKÖLD ILLUSTRATION MARIA GUSTAVSSON 

This is an example of how schools and preschools, 

working with the theme of consumption 

and how their work, within the Eco- 

Schools programme, can be linked to national 

and international environmental goals.

schools and preschools have an explicit 

assignment to contribute to a sustainable 

development. The assignment is expressed 

in steering documents such as the Education 

Act, the Curricula and Syllabi. 

Schools and preschools also have a part 

in the important work with the national environmental 

objectives. They set the course 

for the adaptations society needs to make 

in order to deal with the most important 

environmental problems. 

Since pollution does not stay within 

country borders, and many nature resources 

are shared, the EU environmental work 

has a key role in whether we are to achieve 

the Swedish Environmental Quality Objectives. 

Hence, simultaneously working to 

obtain objectives and environmental priorities 

of the EU environmental policy must 

also be prioritized. 

there is a lot going on at the same time, 

and it requires that headmasters and teachers 

coordinate and structure the work towards 

the objectives and guidelines. The 

work must also be carried out in a way that 

gives children and youth the possibility to 

actively participate. 

The Eco-Schools programme helps 

Foto: Emma Ingolf www.emmaingolf.se 

schools and preschools to integrate sustainable 

development in their own activities, 

and to work actively to achieve Swedish 

and international environmental objectives. 

In the Eco-Schools programme, schools 

and preschools work with six broad 

themes. The themes explicitly include both 

the EU environmental policy and the Swedish 

Environmental Quality Objectives. 

the eco-schools programme is based on a 

thematic way of working and involves the 

whole school or preschool, broad themes 

such as climate, energy and consumption 

and can be incorporated in all subjects. 

This interdisciplinary work implies a 

greater possibility to obtain the objectives 

of the curricula and the syllabi. 

To get an insight into the progressing 

work with environment and sustainability, 

the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation communicates 

on a daily basis with a great number 

of schools and preschools. During last year, 

when focus had been on implementing 

the new or modified curricula, we see that 

many sectors are using the Eco-Schools 

programme more actively in adjusting to 

the curricula, and in accounting for quality. 

The EU environmental policy also fo- 

cuses on making it easier for the citizens 

to be more environmentally friendly. However, 

being aware of the objectives and 

guidelines is not enough. Turning knowledge 

into practical actions requires action 

competence. Knowledge combined with 

personal motivation and possibility to influence 

and to act leads to increased action 

competence. 

The Eco-Schools programme creates 

competence to act through an action orientated 

working method, in which it is central 

that youth and children participate, and 

have a possibility to influence the work. 

Schools and preschools are encouraged to 

work concretely with the process. Hence, 

the Eco-Schools programme contributes to 

schools and preschools being a part of the 

solution, and to the implementation of the 

Swedish environmental objectives, and the 

EU environmental policy. 

the keep sweden tidy foundation believes 

that children and youth, with positive experiences 

from environmental and sustainability 

work, will be inclined to take on the 

important questions about the future with 

a spirit of optimism and self-esteem. a 


The Cooperation with 

the Keep Sweden Tidy 

Foundation a Success 

In 2010, the Municipality of Jönköping learnt through user surveys 

addressing parents with children attending school or preschool, 

that there was a wish for a more explicit environmental work. 

TEXT AND PHOTO OLA JACOBSEN 

“therefore, the politicians decided to 

focus even more on the environmental 

issue. We chose to be a part of the Com-U 

project with the Eco-Schools programme 

to achieve the environmental objectives of 

the community, since it is a reliable tool 

which also feels meaningful to work with 

both for teachers, children and students,” 

says Lars Öster, Traffic and Environmental 

coordinator at the board of education 

in the Municipality of Jönköping. 

in order to work efficiently with the 

municipal environmental objectives from 

preschool to upper secondary school, the 

Municipality of Jönköping realized they 

needed to think creatively and cooperate 

with other actors. They therefore chose to 

organize the environmental work centrally, 

with an official acting as a coordinator. 

“I started by scanning the market for 

appropriate partners. Now we are working 

with the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation, 

the School of Education and Communication, 

and the Environmental Office 

in Jönköping.” 

The first goal is to double the number of 

units certified by Eco-Schools, from 10 to 

20 between 2010 and 2013, but already 

they have gone from 10 to 27. 

“It would surprise me if we don’t have 

more than 30 before 2013, and exceed the 

goal with 100 percent,” says Lars Öster. 

To reach the objects of the Com-U project, 

to give the next generation knowl- 

10 the keep sweden tidy foundation – school and preschool/inspiration 

edge, tools and courage to deal with the 

big future questions regarding the environment, 

the Foundation has provided 

educational courses for free. How has that 

influenced the Municipality of Jönköping? 

“A great deal. It has been a generous 

offer from the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation, 

through the EU fund Life+. We 

have not experienced any limitations. The 

Foundation has come to us with study 

material and dedicated lecturers. It goes 

without saying, it is a success factor not 

having a brake, being able to focus only 

on the accelerator.” 

for preschools and schools in the Municipality 

of Jönköping, the work with 

the Com-U project has been somewhat 

easier than in other municipalities. Lars 

Öster has been the contact person both 

for preschools, schools, the Keep Sweden 

Tidy Foundation and for the School of 

Education and Communication. 

“All contacts go through me. I make 

all the practical arrangements, and piece 

together the entirety, so all others involved 

can focus on their own part. It means that 

all the actors we work with feel extra safe. 

They know that the official in the municipality 

manages the contacts with the Keep 

Sweden Tidy Foundation, and when it is 

time for further education, everything is 

signed, sealed and delivered. I myself have 

felt good support from the Keep Sweden 

Tidy Foundation, as they have been a 

corner stone for making things work 

this well. So far, around 250 teachers in 

Jönköping have participated in the Com- 

U project managed by the Keep Sweden 

Tidy Foundation at the School of Education 

and Communication.” 

What is your advice on how to speed up 

the work with the environmental objectives 

in other municipalities? 

“Jönköping went in for this from a user 

perspective. It is not a political invention. By 

having a smart organization and by choosing 

the right partners, we have given environmental 

issues a real boost in the municipality. 

We have increased the compliance of 

the environmental objectives, and we have 

been better at satisfying the requests of the 

citizens of the municipality.” a 

Facts 

Name: Lars Öster 

Occupation: Traffic and Environmental 

coordinator, coordinator 

of the Eco-Schools programme in 

the Municipality of Jönköping. 

Lives: In Huskvarna.

“I started by scanning the 

market for appropriate 

partners. Now we work 

with the Keep Sweden 

Tidy Foundation.” 

lars öster, traffic and environmental coordinator 

in the municipality of jönköping 

school and preschool/inspiration – the keep sweden tidy foundation 11

Things that are 

Already Being Done 

In Sundsvall, the teachers are the ones who have gotten the work with the Eco-Schools 

programme going in schools and preschools. There is a great commitment to the Eco- 

Schools programme, and to sustainability issues, even though the Childcare and Education 

Department has not pursued the issue in the municipality. Many of the teachers have been 

inspired and educated by the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation within the frames of the Com-U 

project. 

TEXT PETRA HOLGERSSON PHOTO OLA JACOBSEN 


In the industrial city of Sundsvall, it was 

not that long ago that the morning fog 

was filled with pollution. The city has a 

long tradition of heavy industry, and in 

later years it has worked hard with ecological 

adaption of the activities. However, 

the municipality has not chosen to 

promote the Eco-Schools programme, or 

any other environmental award, in its 

schools or preschools. 

Still, this has not stopped environmental 

commitment from flaring up in the 

schools and preschools of the municipality. 

A lot of people from the new generation 

of the Sundsvall citizens are now 

learning plenty about environmental issues, 

and are themselves working with 

issues regarding environmental cycles, 

water, and maintenance of the local surroundings. 

There is no doubt that the 

children are participatory. At least not in 

the two preschools managed by Agneta 

Stenmark. 

“I was attending a EU environmental 

policy course held by the Keep Sweden 

Tidy Foundation in Gävle, when I suddenly 

realized something,” says Agneta. 

The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation spoke 

about our resources being limited – that 

we can’t just keep on taking from nature, 

and that there is only one globe. That 

went straight into my heart.” 

now the work with the Eco-Schools programme 

is in full swing on both of Agnetas 

preschools. On the preschool Rönn-

acken, the Green Flag has been waving 

since 2010, and at the preschool Humlan, 

the action plan for the Eco-Schools programme 

has just been approved. 

“We have noticed that there is a huge 

craving for a project like this with education 

and inspirational meetings in the preschools 

in Sundsvall,” says Agneta. Our 

first educational meeting here in Sundsvall 

gathered 31 teachers, and in the last 

few years, several hundreds have attended 

courses.” 

Agneta has a great commitment, and she 

is passionate about environment issues, 

and for all children’s right to participate. 

However, she emphasizes that a lot of what 

is demanded in the Eco-Schools program 

are things that the preschools are already 

working with. A big KRAV-sign crowns the 

entrance door of the preschool Humlan, 

and the children are served KRAV-food 

every day (KRAV is a Swedish association 

that develops organic standards, and promotes 

the KRAV-label for products living 

up to the standards.) 

Agneta has created a small library for 

all children and parents, where you simply 

pick out your book, put it in a homemade 

tote bag, and make a note in a small notebook 

of what you have borrowed. This 

way all children can have a bedtime story 

at home. These are two examples of activities 

that fit perfectly within the Eco-Schools 

programme – activities that already exist 

at the preschool. 

“It is not tricky or difficult at all to work 

with the Eco-Schools programme,” Agneta 

says. “We started with the activities we already 

have, and it has been moving along 

from there by itself. We are very proud of 

our preschools.” 

but why has the municipality not pursued 

the issue, when there is obviously such great 

interest among the schools and preschools? 

“I’m not really sure,” says Lars Karlstrand, 

former Head of Compulsory School 

in the North district, and now, among other 

things, responsible for the Student Health 

Service on the Education Department. 

“We who work at the Childcare and 

Education Department have never really 

owned the environmental issue. It has never 

asserted itself among us. Maybe it’s because 

we who work within the department have 

been forced to focus on other issues.” a 

PHOTO: PETRA HOLGERSSON 

A lot of work within the Eco-Schools programme is things that we are already doing at 

the preschool,” says Ingrid Nordling, teacher at the preschool Rönnbacken in Sundsvall. 

Ingrid Inspires Others to Start Working 

with the Eco-Schools programme 

The Eco-Schools programme 

takes up a lot of things that we are 

already doing at the preschool. For 

me, personally, the tool has meant a 

greater consciousness of environmental 

issues, which in fact is also true for 

the whole work group of the preschool. 

It is pretty awesome when you 

think about it, that the little we do can 

have such great influence. Those are 

the words of Ingrid Nordling, teacher 

at the preschool Rönnbacken, who 

also lectures about the Eco-Schools 

programme on other preschools in the 

municipality. 

Ingrid learnt about the Com-U 

project through the neighboring school 

Kyrkskolan F–3. Their work inspired 

her and her colleagues. 

“We thought that we wanted a green 

flag like that too,” Ingrid says. “So we 

started doing some research, and applied 

to the Eco-Schools programme 

on the web, and got the work going. It 

was a lot of fun, but looking back, the 

ambition of the teachers was far too 

high, they were speeding to fast.” 

An advice from Ingrid is to start from 

where you are at present. 

“Choose a theme that fits the situation 

you are in. We were far too ambitious 

in the beginning and wanted to 

do so much, but now we have calmed 

down and adjusted to the children and 

to our situation.” 

Ingrid and her colleagues found the 

Com-U project and the offer about 

inspirational meetings on the web, and 

after the meetings, Ingrid herself has 

started inspiring other preschools. 

“I think it is good if someone who is 

also out on the field informs about the 

Eco-Schools programme. A teacher 

explaining that it is not complicated at 

all. In fact it’s about things we already 

do, just in a little more structured way. 

That is very appreciated!” 

For Rönnbacken, the Eco-Schools 

programme has also led to new yearly 

traditions. In spring, we have an environmental 

week with a litter theme, 

and in the autumn we have a harvest 

home,” Ingrid says. It is so inspiring 

to contribute to making children, 

teachers, staff and parents more aware 

of our environment. a 


“It was not very difficult to 

join the Eco-Schools programme. 

Everyone in the staff 

understands what we need 

to do, so now everybody is 

trying to contribute,” says 

Vivi-Anne Granlund, teacher 

at Härnevi Preschool outside 

of Enköping. 

14 the håll keep sverige sweden rent tidy – skola foundation and förskola/inspiration 

– school and preschool/inspiration 

Facts/Härnevi 

Preschool 

Location: Härnevi 

Municipality: The Municipality 

of Enköping 

Number of children/pupils: 20 in 

the preschool, and 8 in the afterschool 

center 

Number of years with Eco-Schools: 1

The Eco-Schools 

Programme 

Complementing Preschools Own Goals 

On the plains, just over ten kilometers north of Enköping, in the old Society House between 

the fields and the forest, is where Härnevi Preschool is located. 

“We have such great environment here – for free. It is so nice. We have to show how to 

take good care of what we have around us,” says the teacher Vivi-Anne Granlund. 


härnevi preschool started working 

with Eco-Schools theme of Lifestyles and 

Health one year ago. 

“Through the Com-U project the Keep 

Sweden Tidy Foundation offered a free 

EU environmental policy course. It turned 

out not to be difficult at all. We were 

afraid it would mean extra work, but as 

it turned out, it was not that difficult to 

write this kind of report,” says Vivi-Anne 

Granlund. 

The Eco-Schools programme report 

complemented the goal documents that 

the preschools were already working 

with. The revised curriculum is also easy 

to integrate with the Eco-Schools programme 

documentation. 

even though härnevi preschool has only 

worked with the Eco-Schools programme 

for one year, there was already a strong 

environmental commitment at the preschool. 

“The Eco-Schools programme has not 

implied such a big difference for the way 

we work with the children. The big difference 

is the way we think and talk about 

what we are doing, and that we keep better 

records of it. We are more aware of 

how and why we do what we do. One 

of the objectives of the theme Lifestyles 

and health is outdoor activities that promote 

physical activity. At the Preschool, 

they already had a lot of physical activity 

outdoors, but with the Eco-Schools programme 

in mind, they have become more 

aware of what they do and why.” 

“Children need a lot of outdoor physi- 

cal activity. They have to build up their 

bodies to be able to sit still in school later. 

It pushes you a little, having to reflect 

‘What are we thinking now then?’. With 

the Eco-Schools programme, everything 

comes together,” says Vivi-Anne Granlund. 

She sees many benefits from spending a 

lot of time outdoors with the child group. 

The spirit of the group improves by outdoor 

activities. There are fewer conflicts 

when the children have more space. 

“The afternoon is a lot calmer if we 

have spent the morning outdoors,” says 

Vivi-Anne Granlund. 

A concrete difference since start of the 

work with the theme Lifestyles and health, 

within the Eco-Schools programme, is 

that the preschool tries to take care of 

all catering waste they produce, since 

they want to teach the children a healthy 

lifestyle. 

“We collect the waste under the sink, 

and the children helps out filling the compost 

bin out on the yard. We have had a 

see-through compost container too, so 

the children could see clearly what the 

worms fed from,” says Vivi-Anne Granlund. 

They will use the soil they produce 

in the sowing containers by the swings, 

where they cultivate tomatoes, squash, 

flowers and parsley. 

“This spring we will not have to buy 

soil, the children will have made their 

own,” says Vivi-Anne Granlund. a 

Theme/Lifestyles 

and health 

Among other things, the schools 

are working with: eating habits, 

physical activity and relaxation, 

indoor environment, friendship. 

Through their work schools and 

preschools help obtaining: The 

Swedish Environmental Quality 

Goals: A Good Built Environment, 

A Non-Toxic Environment, 

A Safe Radiation Environment, 

Clean Air. 

The EU environmental policy: 

Environment and Health, Natural 

Resources and Waste 


Com-U Course Speeded up Work with 

the Eco-Schools Programme 

One year ago, when the staff at the preschool Enbacken decided to go in for the Eco- 

Schools programme, they invited an educator from the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation for an 

EU environmental policy course within the Com-U project. That was the starting point, and 

from that evening on, all the teachers were highly motivated. 


16 the keep sweden tidy foundation – school and preschool/inspiration

Facts / Enbacken 

Preschool 

Fakta/Enbackens 

Location: Edvalla 

Municipality: förskolathe 

Municipality 

of Tierp 

Number of children/pupils: 24. 

Number of years with Eco- 

Schools: 1 

“once we got started with the Eco- 

Schools programme that was it, everything 

else had to fit into that,” says team 

leader Carina Ederyd. 

To carry out the theme as efficiently as 

possible, all other objectives regarding for 

instance languages, mathematics, motoric 

skills and physical movement, were linked 

together with the the Eco-Schools programme. 

“Going in for the Eco-Schools programme 

was a common decision and all 

of us have been educated by the Keep 

Sweden Tidy Foundation. One of the 

main reasons why we prioritize working 

with nature and environment, as we do 

in the Eco-Schools programme, is that it 

reflects the objectives and guidelines in 

the revised curriculum. Working actively 

with the different themes within the Eco- 

Schools programme allows us to work 

more explicitly towards the objectives regarding 

natural sciences, technology and 

the environment,” says preschool teacher 

Cecilia Jacobsson. 

the teachers have received a lot of help 

by teaching material from both the World 

Wide Fund for Nature and the Keep 

Sweden Tidy Foundation. Especially the 

Lightning Patrol material has been much 

appreciated by the children. (Read more 

about the Lightning Patrol on page 26.) 

“The children have become the Lightning 

Patrol themselves. It is exciting to be 

part of a secret environmental club that 

goes out looking for litter,” says Cecilia 

Jacobsson. 

“We already had this interest for nature 

and for the environment, but through 

the Com-U project we have become more 

eco-conscious, and it rubs off on the children. 

They are very engaged, and they also 

teach each other things they have learnt 

at home,” says Cecilia Jacobsson. 

Today the preschool class gathers round 

the fireplace out by Eneboa, the shelter 

right at the edge of the forest on the large 

outdoor yard of the Enbacken Preschool. 

“What happens with the earth if there 

is too much pollution?” Cecilia Jacobsson 

asks. 

“It will have a fever!” the children call 

back. 

It’s time for the Eco-Schools gathering, 

and the five year olds are going to make 

an experiment within the theme Energy 

and climate. They are going to pour salt 

on big blocks of ice, in order to simulate 

global warming. The water from the melting 

ice is colored red to make it easier 

to see. 

“It’s breaking! Now the polar bears will 

drown!” the children cry after a while. 

“The Preschool magazine had a theme 

issue on sustainable development, and 

there was a story in it that made us realize 

that we can work with the Climate 

and energy theme also with the younger 

children,” says Carina Ederyd. 

According to her, Eco-Schools is also a 

good tool for teaching the children basic 

democratic values. 

“We must teach them that there is 

hope for the future and that all people 

can make a difference, no matter what 

age they are.” 

By concretely trying, discovering and 

doing different things, the Eco-Schools 

programme improves the action competence 

of the children. When they have 

tried something at the preschool, they 

want to do the same thing at home. Furthermore, 

the wish and the knowledge to 

change things do not go away. 

“The children turn into Environmental 

Police Officers at home, it can almost be 

a bit tiresome. But the children really do 

influence their parents, I find that pretty 

awesome,” says Cecilia Jacobsson. a 

Theme/ Climate 

and energy 

Tema/Klimat 

and energi 

The schools work with, for example: 

global warming, energy 

sources, energy efficiency, transports. 

Through their work, the schools 

and preschools help obtaining: 

the Swedish Environmental Quality 

Objectives: Reduced Climate 

Impact, A Good Built Environment, 

Clean Air, A Magnificent 

Mountain Landscape, Natural 

Acidification Only. 

The EU environmental policy: 

Climate change, Nature and 

biodiversity, Natural resources 

and waste. 


Eco-Schools 

Programme 

Makes Environmental 

Objectives Concrete 

this year’s theme, Water resources, will 

teach the children about the properties 

of water and the water cycle and about 

some of the animals and plants down 

by the swimming lake. The theme begun 

with various experiments through 

Theme/Water resources 

The schools work with, for example: properties of water and the water cycle, 

animals and plants, global water issues. 

Through their work, the schools and preschools help obtaining: the Swedish 

Environmental Quality Objectives: Good-Quality Groundwater, A Balanced 

Marine Environment, Flourishing Lakes and Streams, Thriving Wetlands. 

EU environmental policy: Nature and biodiversity, Environment and health. 


which the children were to learn more 

about the properties of water. 

“Experiments are fun; it’s different 

from ordinary classes. We work more 

in small groups and the teacher doesn’t 

lecture as much,” says twelve year old 

For ten years, the Green 

Flag has fluttered outside the 

Arentorp School in Vara. 

“The Eco Schools programme 

helps us to concretize the 

environmental objectives, 

but now we have been doing 

this for so long that we have 

learnt a way of thinking,” says 

Camilla Lundmark, teacher at 

the Arentorp School. 


Clara Johansson. 

The older pupils also arranged an Environmental 

Field Day for the younger 

ones. One of the activities was to melt 

an ice cube as fast as possible. 

“Some put it under one arm and some 

Facts/Arentorp 

School 

Location: Arentorp 

Municipality: the Municipality of 

Vara 

Number of children/pupils: 130 

pupils, age 6-12 

Number of years with Eco Schools: 10

put it in their mouth. The ones who put 

it in their mouths won, but it did get 

a bit cold!” says twelve year old Alma 

Engblad. 

For a long time, the teachers at the 

school had wanted to work more specifically 

with environmental questions. 

The only problem was to find a way 

to break down statements such as “We 

will take care of the environment” into 

concrete objectives that they would be 

able to communicate to the pupils.” 

“We did not know how to begin. We 

had ideas about what we wanted to do, 

but we found it difficult to tie it together 

in a good way,” says Camilla Lundmark. 

A colleague of hers found the Eco 

Schools programme on the web. 

“The Eco-Schools programme was 

perfect for us; it was exactly what we 

were looking for. It had specific goals 

to work with,” says Camilla Lundmark. 

the arentorp school has worked with 

the Eco-Schools programme for ten years. 

Every year, when it’s time to choose a 

new theme, a couple of pupils from the 

Environmental Council, together with 

Camilla Lundmark, consult the webpage 

of the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation to 

get suggestions and ideas about how to 

work with each theme. Later, they will 

present different suggestions to teachers 

and pupils in the combined Environmental 

and Student Council, who will make 

a decision. 

Before starting to work with the theme, 

the school sends an action plan to be approved 

by the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation. 

“Then they usually come up with 

thoughts and ideas on how to develop it 

further. The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation 

also comments on the final report, 

giving us good advice and ideas of how 

to go about it next time.” 

Ten years of working with the Eco- 

Schools programme has changed the way 

that the teachers at the school think. 

“The Eco-Schools programme helps us 

to concretize the environmental objectives, 

but now we have But we have done this 

so many times so we have created a way 

of thinking.” 

According to Camilla, the most demanding 

part of the Eco Schools work 

is the documentation. However, working 

with the Eco-Schools programme does not 

Safety in School – an Impetus 

Anna-Karin Karlsson is devoted to 

increasing the feeling of safety at the 

school. 

“I love working with basic values. I 

want the children to feel good inside. 

They should not have to feel insecure 

and unsafe when they are at school.” 

During a re-organization in 2009, 

the Arentorp School introduced daily 

EQ-hours within the mentor groups. 

That means that every day they will 

talk about things that have happened 

and about how to behave among each 

other. Anna-Karin Karlsson works as a 

leisure time pedagogue. She is also a 

member of the School Safety Team and 

has coordinated all the work with basic 

values on the school. 

“When there is a dialogue about 

things that happen and about the way 

we treat each other, the children feel safer 

and are able to focus on the school 

work the rest of the time. It is hard to 

learn something if your head is full of 

worries,” says Anna-Karin Karlsson. 

The Arentorp School won first prize 

in a competition arranged by the Keep 

Sweden Tidy Foundation and Länsförsäkringar 

within the Com-U project 

“We care”. The school won partly 

because of its well considered cooperation 

between parents, children and staff 

but also for its work regarding safe and 

unsafe places on the school grounds. 

Four times a year, the children answer 

a survey about where they feel unsafe 

in the school building and on the school 

grounds. The survey includes a map 

where the pupils mark the places they 

perceive as unsafe with a cross. The 

result is then displayed on a Styrofoam 

model of the school. 

“How did you come up with that 

idea?” 

“I was thinking that there must be a 

way for school prefects and monitors to 

know where the children don’t feel safe 

at the school grounds, so they can keep 

increase the general workload for her and 

her colleagues. 

“A lot of the work that we put in to the 

documentation within Eco-Schools can be 

an extra eye there. It was really easy to 

make the model; I just used the fire protection 

plan as a base. We have used it 

for many years now.” 

However, the work with safe and 

unsafe places does not end with putting 

needles on a Styrofoam model. In a 

survey last year, all of 

a sudden there were 

eleven marks by a 

copse of trees on the 

school yard. 

“We do the survey to 

bring problems to the 

surface, and then we 

must go on and solve 

them. By the copse, Name: Annawe 

kept some logs that Karin Karlsson 

Age: 37 years 

were used for building 

Lives: Arentorp 

little houses. The chil- Family: Yes, 

dren often fell out over husband and 

them, and many bad two daughters. 

things aroused from Best advice on 

how to create 

that,” says Anna-Karin 

a safe school: 

Karlsson. 

Simply, to care. 

The logs were 

removed, and the situation was also 

discussed in the mentor groups. In the 

next survey, the result showed. 

“All the eleven crosses were gone. 

There was simply no one feeling unsafe 

there anymore. The children should feel 

good and safe when they are here; we 

always have to be here for them and 

always do what we can.” 

“What motivates you to do that bit 

extra every day?” 

“I like this communication with the 

children, what is going on in their heads 

at these ages; the social interaction, to 

be able to work with that. It’s exciting.” 

“What would happen if you would 

stop working like this?” 

“We have to talk about how we treat 

each other and be reminded of it every 

day. I have worked at this school for 15 

years, and I have never dared to try not 

working like this.” a 

copied directly into our Quality Report. 

We can also use part of it in our Equal 

Treatment Plan. So they are texts we need 

to write anyway.” a 


Litter Transformed into 

At the preschool Äppelgården, 

the children have transformed 

waste from their homes into a 

mobile city with its own recycling 

station – and into waste art. 

Tonight it is the opening of the 

exhibition. 

“Since we just started working 

with the Eco-Schools programme, 

it is especially important to 

display the work,” says Monika 

Bloomberg, teacher at the preschool 

Äppelgården, located in 

Vaxholm, in the archipelago of 

Stockholm. 


the minimal outdoor yard, that is, the 

space between the preschool building 

and a rock-face, made it easy for Äppelgården 

Preschool to choose the first the 

Eco-Schools theme: Local surroundings. 

“Since we have such a small yard, the 

local surroundings are a great resource,” 

says Monika Bloomberg. 

They have recently pursued the first 

objective, waste management, and part 

of the result is being displayed at the exhibition. 

On the combined opening night 

and parent-teacher meeting, the preschool 

is packed with parents and siblings. 

what is being displayed started with an 

idea of making a city out of waste. The 

children were encouraged to bring waste 

from home. Everyone participated, the 

older children made the houses and the 

city’s waste station while the youngest 

made trees out of play-dough and ice 

cream sticks. 

“It is important that the youngest children 

also participate. Everyone should be 

included and involved in the work with 

the eco-schools programme on their individual 

level. You can create something 

useful out of waste. It’s all about making 


Facts/Äppelgården 

Preschool 

Location: Vaxholm 

Municipality: the Municipality 

of Vaxholm 

Number of children/pupils: 36 


Schools: 1 

the children aware that you can reuse 

things, you don’t have to throw everything 

away,” says Monika Bloomberg. 

The waste city is mobile; you can take it 

apart and rebuild it to play with it somewhere 

else. However, when the city was 

finished there was still plenty of waste left, 

and that is how the idea of the waste art 

was born. Glitter and spangles were used 

to decorate the not so nice looking waste 

and to turn it into the magnificent art that 

now adorns the walls of Äppelgården. 

the work with the eco-schools programme 

started with an eu environmental 

policy course at the preschool, arranged 

by the keep sweden tidy foundation within 

the frames of the COM-U project. Since 

then, Monika Bloomberg has stayed in 

touch with the educator. 

“I think it can be what you make of 

it yourself. If you get in touch with the 

foundation you will get feedback. I feel i 

can call them at any time and ask questions 

when i need to. Next year we will 

hopefully get our flag, but we will have

Waste Art 

to keep up the work in order to keep the 

certification.” 

Äppelgården preschool is one of the last 

in the municipality to join the eco-schools 

programme. 

“There is so much happening on planet 

earth. It is important to start working already 

with the youngest children, to let 

it be important to them from the start. 

To me, it’s a very meaningful job,” says 

Monika Bloomberg. 

one way to display the work with the ecoschools 

programme, and also to involve 

the parents, has been to circulate the little 

teddy bear miljömulle (miljö is the swedish 

word for environment). The children 

bring him home along with a notebook, 

in which the parents are supposed to 

write about the environmental attitude 

they have at home; if they separate waste, 

turn off the lights and the tv. 

“Later on, when we gather the children, 

they have used the book to explain to 

each other how they do things at home. 

Theme/ 

Local surroundings 

The schools work with, for example: 

littering, housing, nature 

in the local surroundings, Right of 

Public Access. 

Through their work, the schools 

and preschools help obtaining: the 

Swedish Environmental Quality 

Objectives: A Good Built Environment, 

A Non-Toxic Environment, 

Sustainable Forests, Flourishing 

Lakes and Streams. 

EU environmental policy: Nature 

and biodiversity, Environment and 

health, Natural resources and waste. 

“There is so much happening 

on planet earth. 

It is important to start 

working already with 

the youngest children” 

monika bloomberg, teacher at äppelgården 

preschool in vaxholm 

Since the preschool started working with 

the Eco-Schools programme, many parents 

relate that they have been told what 

to do – and what not to do – with the 

household waste. 

“The work with the Eco-Schools programme 

creates circles on the water, 

for both children and grownups. The 

children carry along an awareness that 

spreads to the parents.” a 


Eleven Years with 

Eco-Schools 

Frans Suell Upper Secondary School is on its eleventh 

year working with the Eco-Schools Programme. The latest 

theme was Consumption – a theme that engaged a lot of 

students. Among other things, they arranged a big swapping 

day at their school. 

TEXT PETRA HOLGERSSON PHOTO HÅKAN EKBERG 

the trademarks of the Frans Suell Upper 

Secondary School are handicraft, entrepreneurship 

and service. There are a 

number of vocational educations, such 

as the Food Program and the Hotel and 

Restaurant Program. Olle Bredin, contact 

person for the Eco-Schools programme, 

works at the Restaurant Program. 

“we work every day with the environmental 

aspects of the education,” says Olle. It 

becomes very concrete in the restaurant 

cuisine, which ranges from delicacies over 

take-away and classical restaurant food 

to large scale kitchen where we cook for 

1.300 students every day. At the moment, 

we are for example working a lot to both 

reduce the waste and to increase the share 

of KRAV- labeled ingredients we use for 

cooking. (KRAV is a Swedish association 

that develops organic standards, and promotes 

the KRAV-label for products living 

up to the standards.) 

During last year’s theme, Consumption, 

the school managed to increase the share 

of ecologically and locally produced products 

they purchased from 6 to 18 percent 

and the school will strive to further increase 

the percentage. 


“We have, among other things, changed 

our purchase system, making it easier to 

order ecological products,” says Olle. 

So hopefully we will reach beyond the 

goal of the City of Malmö, namely that 

ecological products should constitute 22 

percent of the purchases. 

It is not always easy to get students this 

age committed. Lots of other things attract 

their attention. However, the theme 

Consumption has been easy to communicate. 

Last year, for example, the students 

arranged a big swapping day on 

which huge amounts of clothes exchanged 

owners. Also, students from the Textile 

Program have been very interested in the 

effects of using palm oil. Their teachers 

had attended a lecture held by Swedish 

nature photographer Mattias Klum, and 

passing on the information about the issue 

to the students, the students’ interest 

was aroused. 

the environmental council then tried to 

arrange for Mattias Klum to lecture at the 

school, but did not succeed. Instead, that 

led to the school establishing a contact 

with Malmö Museum – a contact that in 

its turn has led to a future cooperation 

Theme/ 

Consumption 

The schools work with for 

example: production and 

transport, reuse, advertising, 

ECO-labels 

Through their work, the 

schools and preschools help 

obtaining: the Swedish 

Environmental Quality 

Objectives: Reduced Climate 

Impact, A Non-Toxic 

Environment, A Varied 

Agricultural Landscape, 

Zero Eutrophication, A 

Good Built Environment. 

EU environmental policy: 

Climate change, Nature 

and biodiversity, Environment 

and health, Natural 

resources and waste. 

between the school and Malmö Museum 

around different environmental themes. 

“We have been thinking about maybe 

having Water resources as our next theme,” 

says Olle. If so, we have discussed with the 

museum that they can bring the students to 

a number of showings and then the students, 

together with the museum pedagogues, can 

create an exhibition on the theme.

The students prepare 

meals for 1.300 guests 

every day. 

“Among other things, we have 

changed our purchase system, making 

it easier to order ecological 

products.” 

olle bredin, contact person for the eco-schools programme, the 

restaurant programme, frans suell upper secondary school. 

However, it is not decided whether Water 

resources will be the next theme. In 

the true spirit of Eco-Schools, the whole 

school elects the theme together, which 

means that one or two representatives 

from each class, along with the Environmental 

Council, will elect the theme on a 

big meeting. 

“We will have to book the lecture hall 

when it’s time for the election,” says Olle. 

After eleven years with the Eco-Schools 

programme, the school has good working 

routines, but to Olle, the Keep Sweden 

Tidy Foundation’s website within the 

Com-U project still is a great help to get 

inspiration and ideas regarding the work. 

“It gets a lot easier to go to the website 

and check what others have done – it’s a 

great help,” says Olle. 

the educations within the Com-U project 

that the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation 

has provided, has also helped the school 

to proceed with their work. 

The school has received a lot of attention 

for its sustainability work, for example; 

the school has been awarded with 

the Valfrid Paulsson Environmental Prize, 

the Edberg Environmental Prize, and the 

environmental prize of the Department 

of education. 

The school has also welcomed guests 

from far way away, for example from 

China, that have come to study their sustainability 

work. 

“We are of course thrilled to get attention 

for what we are doing,” says Olle. 

“We are proud of our work and our 

school, and we are convinced that our 

genuine work with sustainability at the 

school also attracts students to our programmes.” 

a 


Composting 

It is a sunny day, and the garden plots are thriving outside of the school Pilgrimsskolan in 

Aspudden in the south of Stockholm. Some of the pupils are picking weeds in the plots at 

the front yard, and there is a frantic activity in the corner where the compost bins are. 

TEXT AND PHOTO KATARINA HELLBERG 

the pupils help each other to scrape today’s 

food waste down the bins. Macaroni, 

sandwiches, pieces of fish and a few 

potatoes go into the bin. 

“I find the compost disgusting, but exciting 

too,” says Masha. “It’s cool, because 

I have never seen the inside of compost 

before. There are insects in it.” 

This semester’s last meeting of the 

Eco-Committee has just finished and the 

participants have gathered around the 

compost bins at the yard. During the past 

school year, a representative from each 

class and two teachers have held meetings 

more or less once a month. 

One of the goals within their work with 

the Eco-Schools programme has been 

to look at the composting and find out 

how much food waste there is left from 

lunch and afternoon snack. Scales were 

acquired and the class representatives of 

the Environmental Council taught their 

classmates how to weigh. 

“what’s really the point with weighing 

food waste?” physical education teacher 

Susanne Ebers asks. 

“To see how much we throw away.” 

Masha answers. 

“And if we need more compost 

bins,”Adam adds. 

Consideration of environmental cycles 

is important at our school,” says the 

school’s administrator and supervisor Annika 

Piirimets. The food waste is put in 

the compost, where it molders and turns 

into soil that is put on the plots. In the 

soil we grow vegetables that the school 

cook will prepare for us to eat. That way 

we have created an environmental cycle 


that we can follow and examine. 

“The way I think of Eco-Schools is 

as a tool that brings our environmental 

work forward”, Annika explains. “How 

do we move on from here? How do we 

get better? You have to think like that 

all the time, and that’s where the Eco- 

Schools programme enters the picture. 

We do think about the environment in 

many different ways at this school, but 

Eco-Schools is what brings us forward. 

We get everything down on paper, an action 

plan and then – bang – something 

concrete comes from it. It’s a tool that 

somehow speeds up what we are doing.” 

Susanne Ebers adds: 

“Another positive thing is the frames 

that the Eco-Schools programme has 

given us on how to carry out the environmental 

work, like for example with 

the Environmental Council. The teachers 

have decided the objectives, but the 

children decided what kind of activities 

there would be.” 

In the front yard, right next to the 

school building, there are several plots 

where potatoes, pumpkins, carrots, radish 

and flowers are growing. Salma, Fabian, 

and Kasper are sitting by one of the plots 

picking weeds. 

“It is fun to see the things we have 

planted grow and become flowers and 

potatoes and things like that. But it takes 

a long time of course,” says Kasper. 

“Here we grow chewing gum, come 

take a look over here,” Eva Östman calls. 

The children race there. 

“That’s right, it’s mint, it tastes like 

chewing gum,” says Salma. “Mmmm, it 

smells so good!” a 

Facts/Pilgrimsskolan 

Location: Hägersten 

Municipality: the Municipality of 

Stockholm 

Type of school: Compulsory 

school, age 6–11 

Number of pupils: 120 


Schools: 1

and growing 

Chewing Gum 

Theme/Environmental cycles 

The schools work with, for example: natural cycles, 

reuse, recycling and cultivation 

Through their work, the schools and preschools 

help obtaining: the Swedish Environmental Quality 

Objectives: A varied Agricultural Landscape, A Rich 

Diversity of Plant and Animal Life, Flourishing Lakes 

and Streams, Sustainable Forests, Thriving Wetlands. 

EU environmental policy: Nature and biodiversity, 

Environment and health, Natural resources and 

waste. 


Your Guide to 

Energy & Climate 

the school has a key role in our society’s ability 

to change towards sustainable development and 

towards a more climate wise and energy efficient 

society. But how do you teach climate and energy 

in a good way? Our conclusion was that what the 

teachers wanted was a guide that gave advice both 

on teaching methods and existing teaching material. 

The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation, together 

with the Swedish Energy Agency, carried out a 

survey in which teachers throughout the country 

were asked about their needs. In conclusion, the 

teachers expressed the need for teaching material, 

further education, and methods for teaching 

climate and energy. They requested material that 

is available on the internet, and that has a flexible 

structure so that the teachers can use it the 

way they prefer. The teachers also want teaching 

material that rouses the interest and the commitment 

of the students. Based on these requests, the 

Foundation and the Swedish Energy Agency have 

created a guide that works as a main thread in 

teaching climate and energy. We give advice on 

different types of teaching material such as books, 

booklets, web based material and films. The guide 

is based on the Eco-Schools way of work and has 

examples of objectives and activities and how to 

link the activities to the Lgr 11, Curriculum for 

the compulsory school, preschool class and the 

leisure-time center 2011. 

the bogesund school in Ulricehamn has used the 

guide to formulate their objectives in the Eco- 

Schools programme within the theme Climate and 

energy. They chose the guide because of the links 

to the new curriculum, Lgr 11. 

“This spring, when we will focus on the implementation 

of Lgr11, the guide’s way to work with 

Climate and energy will make that work easier and 

more concrete,” Solveig Ljunghager, teacher at the 

Bogesund School, believes. 

“Teachers spend an enormous amount of time 

trying to find good material, so guides like this one 

can save us a lot of time,” says Solveig. 

“Then you still want to do things your own way, 

but it is important to be inspired and get suggestions 

on concrete activities.” 

“Another good thing is that when you use a 

guide like this from a source you trust, it also gives 

you quality assurance.” 

Text: Lisa Adelsköld 


ILLUSTRATION: GRO PLAY AND DESIGN 

9.000 Jigsaw Puzzles 

within the frames of the Com-U project, the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation in 

cooperation with Gro Play and Design and PostkodLotteriet (People’s Postcode 

Lottery) have created a material consisting of a puzzle and an instruction packed 

with experiments, games and creative activities. The purpose is to work with issues 

such as littering, recycling, reuse and the Right of Public Access in a way that is 

concrete and fun. The activities encourage outdoor teaching and are linked to the 

revised curriculum for the preschool. 

In the material we get to follow the Lightning Patrol – a group of kids that have 

formed a secret club. The children are very good at all sorts of things and together 

they solve tricky problems and help people, plants and animals. 

the jigsaw puzzle was sent to all the preschools that signed up for the National 

Litter Picking-days 2011. Since there was nearly 4.000 preschools participating, 

and many of them got several jigsaw puzzles for their different units, in all, many 

thousands of jigsaw puzzles were sent. 

A couple of months later, the Foundation asked all the preschools what they 

thought about the material and how they had used it. The response was fantastic. 

86 percent of those who had received the material had actually used it, most of them 

(95 percent) were also able to use it within the frames of the pedagogical activity. 

Voices on the material: 

“Yes, we have had great 

response from parents, telling 

us how committed their 

children are to environmental 

questions. They tell us that the 

children are trying to make 

their parents get on the train. 

Many express that particularly 

forming the Lightning Patrol 

is what the children find most 

exciting.” 

“A very good guide. We are 

impressed with the range of the 

material, and will use it for a 

long time. Children and staff at 

our preschool have also formed 

a Lightning Patrol.”

Nature Schools 

Important Partners 

The cooperation with regional 

coordinators from Nature 

Schools throughout the country 

has been one of the most important 

success factors for the Com- 

U project. 

During these three years, they 

have supported the teachers, 

from preschool to upper secondary 

school, in their work 

with sustainable development and the 

EU environmental policy. 

The Nature Schools have been extremely 

important as an inspiration to the 

teachers. Riitta Carlström from NAVET 

describes the thoughts behind the meetings 

they arrange for teachers: “By using 

different ‘eye-openers’ to show how 

amazing life is, we hope to plant a seed 

that can grow into commitment to a sustainable 

future.” 

“the inspirational meetings should not 

be too formal, she continues. We don’t 

want to get stuck in the steering documents, 

even though we want to show how 

everything is connected and what role the 

school and preschool has.” 

Riitta thinks the project has been invaluable. 

The two hour long inspirational 

meetings with all the school or preschool 

staff has been a successful concept. Additionally, 

the venture has created resonance; 

towards the end of the project, she 

has noticed that teachers on other courses, 

that have nothing to do with the project, 

have started to requested information 

about sustainable development and about 

“It is good, it made us 

teachers think a little bit 

extra about environmental 

questions. Good with a 

simple and clear material. 

Easy to use, none or little 

planning was needed to be 

able to use the material.” 

Riitta Carlström 

the EU environmental policy. 

The information simply 

has spread. 

the five national conferences 

attended by all the 

regional coordinators have 

been very rewarding. The 

coordinators have strengthened 

their own networks 

and the conferences have become a platform 

for knowledge exchange. 

The possibility to reach so many teachers, 

thanks to the support from the EU 

and the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation, 

has been another advantage. 

Facts: The Swedish Nature School Association 

is a network of Nature Schools, 

using outdoor pedagogics as a method to 

work with the objectives of the curriculum. 

It also aims to give children and 

teachers a feeling for nature, outdoor 

experience, and to contribute to public 

health and sustainable development. Today 

there are around 90 Nature Schools 

in Sweden. 


cooperated with 20 Nature Schools and 

similar partners. Together they have held 

almost 700 courses for teachers during 

the course of the project. 

Text: Eléonore Elfström Fauré 

Photo: Borås Energi and miljö 

“The guide has been awesome! We’ve really 

gotten started with for example recycling 

and litter picking, and the children are so 

attentive when we go out for a walk. There 

are lots of discussions about what happens 

when we litter, and the children bring 

the discussions home too. The interest for 

animals and nature has increased. Very good 

setup, linked to the revised curriculum.” 

3 Films 

to encourage children, youth and adults 

to get involved with environmental issues, 

we need to communicate through many different 

channels; everything from web based 

material to traditional textbooks. When 

the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation asked 

a large number of teachers what kind of 

teaching material they wanted, a majority 

of them answered that they wanted material 

they could get from the web, and that 

makes classroom teaching fun and varied. 

They also want material that arouses the 

interest and the engagement of the pupils. 

With that in mind, the Foundation has 

created three films aimed to support and 

inspire schools and preschools in their environmental 

and sustainability work. The 

films are available on YouTube and can be 

used freely for teaching, or to be watched 

at home. 

the first film, the one we refer to as “the 

Inspirational film”, is meant to create a 

feeling of community, and to let us know 

that there is already a young environmental 

movement struggling for a more sustainable 

society. Just tag along! 

The second film, “the Information film,” 

explains how to use the Eco-Schools tool in 

order to achieve a structured and organized 

environmental and sustainability work on 

the school or preschool. 

The third film “Why the Eco-Schools programme?” 

wishes to communicate why a 

school or preschool should work with the 

Eco-Schools Programme and the strongest 

arguments are that by doing so, they will 

reach the goals of the school or preschool 

curriculum as well as national and international 

environmental objectives. 

The films are available on www.youtube. 

com/hallsverigerent and are also available 

with English subtitles – feel free to use them! 

They can be used, for example, at parentteacher 

meetings, staff meetings, or when 

you want to talk about or get inspired to 

work with the EU environmental policy 

through the Eco-Schools programme. 


SVERIGE PORTO BETALT B 

Returadress: 

Håll Sverige Rent 

Box 4155 

102 64 Stockholm 

Join the 

Eco-Schools Programme! 

– The largest environmental movement in Sweden for children and youth 

The Eco-Schools programme is a tool and a certification that stimulates 

action competence, faith in the future and increased involvement 

from children, students and school and preschool staff. 

Join the Eco-Schools programme and get structure and long-term thinking 

in your environmental and sustainability work. The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation’s website 

provides inspiration and support to start up or 

further develop the environmental and sustainability work of your school or preschool. 

Also, check out the films of the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation at 

www.youtube.com/hallsverigerent 

Welcome to send your application to: www.hsr.se/skola

KEEP SWEDEN TIDY - Håll Sverige Rent

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