Your Green Review

If we retain 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear and 90% of what we see and do then it would stand to reason that giving children books about environmental stewardship is good, talking to them about it is better and giving them hands-on experience in sustainable living is best.

If the above isn’t enough to sell you on the importance of ‘Greener’ operations in our schools then perhaps this will: America’s schools spend more than $7.5 billion annually on energy—more than they spend on textbooks and computers combined. That’s a big chunk of change that doesn’t even take into account the billions spent on inefficient water usage or waste hauling (both are big drains on the budget for most schools).

TEN WAYS ANY SCHOOL CAN GO GREEN:

1.) Create a waste-free lunch program-On average, kids create 67lbs of garbage from disposable lunches every year. Promote the use of reusable lunch sacks, utensils and containers to reduce cafeteria waste. A week-long pilot may be useful in implementing an ongoing program down the road.

2.) Stop the presses! Do away with paper newsletters, weekly updates and as many hard-copies of study guides, syllabuses and homework. Instead, list pertinent news on school websites, ask students to bring in USB drives for e-study guides and switch to email when sending information home to parents.

3.) Conduct classroom energy audits-Allow kids to analyze current consumption trends and come up with low-cost opportunities to cut usage. Encourage kids to take conservation best practices home and educate their parents in the basics of environmental stewardship.

4.) Schedule a trip to the landfill-One of the last free fieldtrips in many areas, a trip to the landfill may not sound appetizing but it’s a sure-fire way to drive home the importance of practicing pollution prevention at home and at school. Some landfills offer guided tours to large groups including area schools.

5.) Plant a garden-Rain gardens, organic gardens and even schoolyard orchards are more than just aesthetically pleasing, they naturally filter pollutants in the air, act as hands-on educational tools in a number of subjects and can supplement cafeteria menus. Some schools are even planting extra rows in their vegetable gardens to donate to surrounding shelters during these tough financial times.

6.) Harvest rain water-As global water shortages continue to worsen, educating students in the importance of water conservation is an absolute necessity. Attaching rain barrels to the school’s downspouts prevents rainwater from collecting pollutants from paved surfaces, and is perfect for watering nearby gardens.  Rain barrels make wonderful (and easy!) shop and/or art projects, see below for instructions!

7.) Stock up on Green supplies-Not every school can afford to install solar panels and geothermal systems but, as the saying goes, “if we all do a little, we can do a lot”. This school year, ask kids and parents to investigate eco-friendly alternatives for conventional school supplies, including unbleached paper with high post consumer content, refillable pens and markers and PVC-free lunch boxes.

8.) Create recycled art-This goes hand-in-hand with a waste reduction program. Analyze the school’s solid waste stream and try to find ways to create art out of some of that would-be waste. Creating art from scrap paper, bottles, tins and wrappers not only promotes creative problem solving but cuts art supply costs and diverts waste from landfills!

9.) Organize a materials swap-Host a materials swap (clothing, equipment, toys) to demonstrate how we can extend the life of our ‘stuff’ while also helping local communities save money during tough times.

10.) Compost-Indoor vermicomposting or outdoor composting keeps methane-generating food scraps out of dumps and provides soil with valuable, nutrient-rich organic matter-perfect for that organic garden!

RESOURCES:

WasteFreeLunches.org-How to organize a wast-free lunch program

Recycleabits.com-Creating art from recyclables

Classroom Energy Audit-One of many classroom energy auditing tools

Rain Garden Guide-How to plant a rain garden

Rain Barrels-How to make a rain barrel

TheDailyGreen.com-Going back to school in Green