Sustainability: becoming an eco-friendly setting – how software can help

Making the early years sector more sustainable is undoubtedly important, but just how can settings boost their green credentials?

Chris Reid, CEO and founder of Connect Childcare, shares his thoughts…

Sustainability continues to be a hot topic across the world and with the COP26 summit having recently taken place in Glasgow, there’s been more in the headlines than ever about reducing carbon emissions and implementing ways in which society can work together to improve the health of our planet.

Now, there are many ways settings can improve their carbon footprint and resourcefulness – from upcycling and using more natural materials to recycling and incorporating nature-based activities into the education programme.

But what role does technology – specifically nursery management software – play in all this, and how can early years settings do their bit to contribute to a greener, healthier, and more sustainable future?

Heading towards a paperless future

It’s no secret that the world around us is becoming increasingly more ‘digital-first’ as the years pass by. And our reliance upon tech is growing in tandem. It helps us to do our online shopping, keep in contact with our loved ones, and carry out our work – often quicker and easier than the alternative.

In the context of an early years environment though, technology adoption can not only help to reduce the amount of paperwork used and stored on site – improving data management and security – but it can save money and streamline processes.

Taking child records and registers as an example, if staff need to update a child’s details – be they related to address or dietary requirements – in a paper system, this would involve locating the correct drawer or filing cabinet and manually crossing out and writing over the existing text. This doesn’t only leave more room for error, but it’s also easier for data to either get lost or be difficult to read – depending on how neat the person’s handwriting is.

But in the context of the environment, by making the switch to digital, it helps to reduce a provider’s carbon emissions – with less trees being felled for paper manufacturing.

It isn’t solely internal documents which benefit from being digitised though, correspondence with parents can also be carried out more efficiently with technology. What was once a written letter or report can now be done virtually – fitting in more flexibly with the busy schedules of practitioners and parents alike.

Futureproof the learning environment

While ditching paper-based systems and taking a greener approach with digital processes is one of the many changes settings can implement to help reduce their carbon footprint in the current time, it also contributes to going one step further and helps to safeguard the physical learning environment for the upcoming generations in decades and centuries to come.

But it’s vital to remember that environmental and business sustainability go hand in hand, and one shouldn’t be considered without the other.

By implementing eco-friendlier practices within a setting, childcare professionals can benefit from streamlined processes, a greater level of interaction and engagement with parents, and enhanced data security – which, ultimately, also translates into significant cost savings, both in terms of money and time. As a result, this will help to create a learning environment that has both child development and the health of our planet at its heart.

Connect Childcare has committed to planting a tree for every demo booked, so to find out more about the software and how it could help to boost your setting’s sustainability credentials and streamline processes, head over to the website.

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