The mad rush for back to school usually involves buying a lot of supplies. All of these things can add up and one day wind up in a landfill. And just imagine all of that paper that is generated by your school. Here are some ideas on how to make back to school time a back to green time.
Check to see if your school is signed up with a program that pays for recycling. Ours is, and there is a big bin outside to collect paper. The school earns money for every pound of paper that is recycled. If there isn’t such a program at your school, contact your local school board or parent teach associated to find out how you can help start one. You can go one step further and organize a system for composting greens from the cafeteria.
Buy used whenever you can. obviously, you can’t buy used notebooks, but clothing, backpacks, sports equipment and more can be purchased at yard sales, consignments shops and thrift stores, saving the environment and saving you money at the same time.
Learn to pack a lunch. Making your own lunch at home and packing it in a reusable lunch bag will go a long way to avoiding those processed school lunches that come in cans. Avoid the convenience snacks and simply purchase in bulk or make your own and then package individual servings in reusable containers.
Let your kid ride the bus, if it is too far or too dangerous to walk or to bike to school. Riding the bus saves energy over parents dropping their individual kids off at school and picking them up every day.
Use recycled materials to supplement the school supplies. Back when I was a kid, we covered books with good old fashioned paper bags that we cut to fit. Now there are plastic book covers that stretch, laminated covers that cant be recycled, etc. Bring back the brown paper bag and you’ll be going green.
Do you have any green back to school tips?
You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here!
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