Getting More Green in 2012 by Denise Morrison Yearian
As your family gears up for a whole new year, why not take education – and protecting the Earth – up a notch by integrating these suggestions both at home and at school. AT HOME l When your children bring home notices and announcements from school, read them, then cut or rip them into thirds and create a stack for writing grocery lists, “to-do” lists, notes to teachers and other scrap paper. l If you have old notebooks with blank pages in them, tear out used pages and leave blank portions for doodling and other things. l Put your child’s artwork to good use. Select theme-related ones and create a book. Place the best pieces in frames. Cut and laminate them to use as bookmarks. Or scan them onto your computer and create a screensaver or slideshow. l When you need to replenish school supplies, think green: buy a canvas or cardboard binder instead of plastic, and choose recycled paper and refillable pens and pencils. l Avoid individually packaged juice bags, boxes and bottles and buy 100 percent frozen juice concentrate. Before the week begins, mix up a batch of juice and pour it into reusable containers the night before going to school. l Rather than purchasing single-use water bottles, look for BPA-free reusable bottles with a twist-off top and hook so your child can attach an identifying nametag or keychain. l Steer clear of individual snack packs such as chips, cookies, pretzels or raisins. They have a lot of wasteful packaging and are much more expensive than large snack bags.
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Tips for Making it an Eco-Friendly Year
l When packing sandwiches, chips and other goodies, avoid using plastic baggies and wrap. Opt instead for reusable sandwich and snack containers. Purchase several sets so there will always be clean containers to choose from. l Instead of individually packaged yogurt, buy a large container of organic yogurt and scoop it into reusable snack containers for lunches. Send along a stainless-steel spoon rather than a plastic one. l Take the bus, walk or carpool to save on gas. l If your child already needs or just wants a new backpack or soft lunchbox, inspect ones from a previous year to see if it is feasible to use them again. Launder them in the washing machine and put them in the sun to dry. l When shopping for winter clothes, look for gently used items at resale shops. Or do a clothes swap with friends.
AT SCHOOL l Start a “green team” to establish ecofriendly goals. l Improve or start recycling programs in the cafeteria. l Help your school choose hard plastic trays for hot lunches instead of single-use trays. l Start a composting pile with food scraps and create a vegetable or flower garden.
Eco-friendly websites: l ecofriendlyideas.net l ecomall.com l goinggreendirectory.org l thegreenguide.com l supergreenme.com
[ Focus on Education]
l Have students educate their parents on how to pack a waste-free lunch. l Encourage teachers to use both sides of the paper in the classroom. l If the teacher requests individually packaged items for classroom snacks, politely tell her about your eco-friendly values and offer to provide bulk-sized snacks. Rather than using paper napkins to place the snacks in, suggest that each student leave a dishtowel in the classroom. They can spread it out on their desks, place their snacks on it, roll up the crumbs and shake them off into the trashcan. This saves paper and money and teaches valuable eco-friendly ingenuity. l Offer to design and order reusable bottles with the school logo from a manufacturer and sell them at the school store. Encourage students to bring these in their school lunches. l Establish a recycling swap day when students bring toys, books, shoes and other items they don’t want and swap them for things other students bring. Donate unwanted items to a charitable organization. l Reward students with stickers, pencils or other treats if they are caught “greenhanded,” doing something good for the environment. l At school-wide events, serve water in large coolers instead of single-use water bottles. Ask attendees in advance to bring their own refillable water bottles. l Create a policy that lets parents sign up to receive all newsletters, announcements, teacher notices and other school items via email. l Schedule a field trip to a recycling center or landfill to educate students on where trash goes. c
January 2012 Atlanta Parent 73