ISC believes that “Sustainability” means living on our planet without wasting our natural resources, by reusing, reducing, recycling, renewing and refusing materials  so that our environment will be preserved for future generations.

ISC Sustainability Belief Statement

ISC 5 R's of Sustainability

1. Reflect - Before buying or asking for something we should reflect if we really need it. Excessive consumption and consumerism are leading causes of social and environmental degradation.
2. Refuse - Refuse unnecessary non-biodegradable materials, like plastic bags and cups.
3. Reuse - Think about things you can reuse: old envelopes, newspaper, plastic bags, etc. Give away or sell unwanted personal items such as clothes, furniture and toys.  Reusing items cuts down on the number of new things you need to purchase and therefore reduces the amount of waste you produce.
4. Reduce - Reduce both your rubbish and energy consumption.
5. Recycle - Recycling involves processing used, unwanted materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials. Even though recycling strategies are not the ideal path towards sustainability and CO2 emission reduction, they do make sense in regards to scarce natural resources.

Think about it; the more we Reflect and Refuse the less we will need to Reuse, Reduce and Recycle. Sustainability should not be limited to these 5 R's, for we should constantly adapt to our ever-changing environment, which demands us to be creative and to explore various sustainable paths to find the ones that allow us to live our present lives without jeopardizing our future.

Read books promoting the use of the 5 R's of Sustainability written by ISC 9th graders for elementary students:

The Mighty Five by Hernan Romero

Be Environmentally Friendly Too! by Carolina Feijo