Now that the school year is well underway, have you noticed any eco-friendly changes that could be made in the classroom or your own routine at home? We know how hectic your schedule may be, which means you may not even be aware of how to make a greener footprint when your family hits the books. So the team at Happy Stan’s Recycling rounded up five tips that you can start implementing today for the greenest year yet!
School Supplies: Chances are your kids have siblings, cousins, neighbours and friends that have a ton of extra pencil crayons, binders, or other school supplies they’re not using. Once you’ve figured out what you don’t need to repurchase, try to source eco-friendly alternatives for the rest, like these organic binders or paper and pencils that are FSC Certified.
Textbooks: With the rain season in full effect, a quick way to protect textbooks is through DIY covers. Use recycled paper to cover the exterior of the books and use fun patterns and colours to decorate. This will reduce chances of damage so that you can lend your textbooks to others in the future or sell them back to the bookstore.
Lunch box: Instead of buying meals at school or purchasing snacks that are individually wrapped, pack food in a reusable lunch box, bring water in a refillable bottle, and buy in bulk. Not only will you keep plastic sandwich bags out of landfills, but you’ll save a lot of money! Buying bulk instead of opting for single-serve “convenience” packs will also help cut down on waste.
Carpool: If bussing isn’t an option, get a group of friends together and carpool to school. This will help reduce the amount of emissions and toxic fumes in the air, making the atmosphere greener and cleaner. Or, if the weather’s nice and a safe route is available, bike with friends. Afterall, what better way to start and end a day of learning than with some fresh air?
Green Program: Finally, if your school has a green program, join it! And if one doesn’t exist – create one! The more opportunities we have to share knowledge with others about eco-friendly ways of living, the more people can actively work to change their habits to create a greener tomorrow.
Are there any eco-friendly school tips that we missed? Tweet us at @HappyStans and let us know!