Most local children went back to school this week, which
presents some opportunities to consider the environment.
Most local children went back to school this week, which presents some opportunities to consider the environment.
Buy recycled products – Choose and use a wide assortment of products made from recycled products, such as pencils made from old blue jeans; binders made from old shipping boxes; and many types of recycled paper products. You can also reuse items like refillable pens, rechargeable batteries, and scrap paper for notes. Using recycled-content and reusing supplies prevents waste and saves you money.
Make greener lunches – If you pack a lunch for school, package it in reusable containers instead of disposable ones, and carry them in a reusable plastic or cloth bag, or lunch box. Send drinks in a thermos or reusable plastic bottle instead of disposable bottles or cartons. If your children buy lunch, coach them to take and use only what they need: One napkin, one ketchup packet, one salt packet, one pepper packet, one set of flatware.
Reuse old clothes – If you’ve purchased a new wardrobe for the fall, there are undoubtedly some old clothes which no longer fit. Don’t toss them away, send them to a thrift store.
Walk or bike to school – Getting out of the habit of driving to school has some great impacts. First, it gets everyone a bit of exercise in the morning. Second, it provides an opportunity for some high-quality parent-child interactions. Third, it provides you with time to witness subtle changes in the environment as seasons change. Fourth, it eliminates air pollution.
Cover books well – Many schools reuse text books to save money and reduce waste. Covering your textbooks with cut-up grocery or shopping bags helps reduce waste and keeps your books in good condition.
Be creative, use markers or colored pencils to give your covers unique and fun designs. Paper grocery bags are also great for wrapping packages.
Pass it on! – Share the message with your friends and other parents. Volunteer for, or start, an environmental club or recycling project in your school.
Work with teachers and friends to find ways to encourage the school community to make waste reduction a part of their everyday lives. You can also look for unique ways to make your school more waste-free, such as starting a school composting project.
n Eco-Fact of the Week: While they may be easy to pack and very convenient, prepackaged lunch foods are not only high in sugar, fat, sodium and excess packaging and low in nutritional value, ounce for ounce they are expensive as well.
n Eco-Web Pages of the Week: Many of the ideas presented here were found at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/specials/funfacts/school2.html.
Take a look for more ideas on going back to school green. For a look at what one community has done to connect schools and environmental issues, check out www.davisrise.org/
Anthony Eulo is a program administrator for the City of Morgan Hill who frequently rides bikes with his son to school. He welcomes your questions, comments and thoughts and can be reached at [email protected] or 779-724
