We’ve all heard the ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ mantra and many of us have taken the initiative to reduce our ecological footprints at home, but what about the plethora of chemicals that find their way into the typical classroom? Kids sped up to 30-50% of their time at their desks during the school year, making healthy school environments essential to their health and well-being. Even in small doses, chemical exposure can be quite harmful to their developing bodies which are more vulnerable to the effects of common toxins. But trying to keep up with all of the potential toxins-which seem to be everywhere these days-can be exhausting.
The good news is that we can all take steps to reduce childhood exposure to known and potentially harmful substances. To support the advancement of sustainable schools, we’ve created a short list of ideas to help create healthy classrooms (of course, check with proper administrators before making any big changes). Feel free to add to this list or add your own thoughts and ideas below.
1.) Avoid Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Tip: Avoid products labeled with the recycling code ‘3′ or the words/letters ‘vinyl’, ‘PVC’ or ‘V’.
PVC is found in everything from backpacks to art containers to binders. The unfortunate truth is that PVC contains dangerous chemical additives including phthalates, lead, cadmium, and/or organotins. These chemicals are known to be harmful and because they aren’t chemically bound to the polymer, can leach out of plastic during normal use onto hands and surfaces. Parents and teachers can talk to administrators about reducing their use of PVC and choose to purchase safer plastics for the classroom.
2.) Choose eco-friendly furnishings:
Tip: Invest in low-emitting furniture including tables, chairs, shelving and other classroom furnishings.
Avoid pressed wood furniture which can offgas formaldehyde and allow new carpets, furniture or any other products with that ‘new’ smell to air out for a few days before bringing into the classroom. Ikea now sells PVC-free furniture, cabinets and baskets with low formaldehyde levels and is phasing out the use of PBDE flame retardants. Check with the manufacturer if you aren’t sure whether new products contain chemicals that can offgas.
Tip: Limit upholstered furniture (new or used) and floor-to-floor carpeting.
Upholstered furnishings may provide safe haven to health triggers and capture microorganisms like mold, mildew and dust mites (yuck!). If carpet or other covered surfaces are a must, choose those that are washable, made without backings and minimal additives like stain and insect repellents.
Tip: When it comes to toys, wood and natural fiber is best.
HealthyStuff.org recommends going plastic-free and opting instead for unpainted wooden toys, or washable cloth and plush toys.
3.) A little outdoor learning goes a long way
Tip: Talk to your school about piloting an outdoor learning environment.
The EPA estimates that the concentration of VOC’s in indoor air can be up to 10 to 100 times more concentrated that outside air. Outdoor classrooms lets kids breath easier and gives them a chance to connect classroom education with real world experiences (like studying geometry in nature, botany, biology, art and local ecology). If that’s not enough to turn you on to alfresco education, as it turns out, nature has a surprisingly strong impact on our physical, emotional and mental state. According to some studies, exposure to natural outdoor spaces can reduce stress and improve brain functioning within minutes. Oh, and learning outside is F-U-N!The University of Tennessee’s guide to Developing an Outdoor Classroom is a wonderful starting place.
5.) Be clean and green. (Please, no more Clorox Wipes!!)
One of the biggest contributors to poor indoor quality are the very substances we rely on to keep our spaces clean. Fortunately, there are some very simple ways to reduce grime and indoor pollutants at the same time!
Tip: Say no to triclosan.
When it comes to dirty hands, soap and water is the way to go. Avoid the use of liquid hand soaps which commonly contain triclosan, a synthetic, broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent. The American Medical Association recommends against using triclosan, and according to the Environmental Working Group, triclosan ‘persists in the environment, breaks down into substances highly toxic to wildlife, pollutes the human body, and poses health risks that are barely studied and poorly understood’. The safety of triclosan for children is not well understood and antibacterial soaps have not been proven to provide any benefit over plain old soap and water!
Tip: Always look for cleaning products that fully disclose their ingredients.
Under current law, manufacturers are only required to list active disinfectant ingredients, technically pesticides, or ingredients known to be acutely hazardous. New voluntary standards have increased transparency in the world of disinfectants and all purpose cleaners but companies are still able to use catch-all terms like “dyes”, “preservatives”, and “fragrances” without disclosing their actual chemical composition (phthalates in fragrances, for example). As Mother Jones reported earlier this year, there are a number of potentially harmful ‘unintentional’ ingredients that make their way into cleaning products during manufacture or when multiple ingredients mix to form new substances. You won’t likely find these on ingredient lists either. If ingredients can’t be found on product labels, contact the manufacturer or simply choose those labeled with Green Seal or Eco Logo certifications. Both are reputable and trustworthy third party certifiers of green cleaners.
Tip: Make your own general cleaning products.
Even if you can’t convince the entire school to adopt green cleaning practices, it may be possible to equip your room with home made all-purpose cleaners for those day to day spills and after school wipe-downs. Simple combinations of vinegar, baking soda and borax can provide all the cleaning power needed to keep desks and chairs spic and span without having to worry about pouring over ingredient lists.
Tip: Always dust with a damp cloth.
Sure, you want your classroom floors to shine just as much as the next parent/teacher does but those dust bunnies may be harboring more than just lint. Products like electronics, furniture and fabrics tend to ’shed’ chemicals over time which accumulate in dust where they can be inhaled or ingested. Damp microfiber mops and towels capture small particles better than dry cloths and prevent things like flame retardants (PBDE’s), pesticides (tracked in with shoes), and endocrine disrupting compounds from being stirred up and released into the air.
6.) Use Alternative Air-Fresheners
Tip: Use pomanders as a natural indoor fragrance.
We all know dirty knees and sweaty necks are all a part of childhood but synthetic air fresheners mask odors and pose respitory hazards to children who breathe, on average, 50% more air per pound of body weight than adults. Instead, try hanging oranges studded with cloves wherever pesky kid-related odors reside. It’s a tried and true way to safely freshen up even the most smelly room!
Tip: Adopt a plant.
Potted plants, fresh flowers and even herbs can provide wonderfully long lasting scents. Some studies have even shown that certain plants can help clean carbon dioxide and VOC’s from indoor air. While questions to their efficacy still stand, it couldn’t hurt to have more greenery around.
Tip: Baking soda really works!
Instead of covering up those funky scents, why not eliminate them? Sprinkle a little in garbage cans, on the carpet before vaccuuming or leave the box at your desk for a kid-friendly odor-eater.
Tip: Open a window.
There simply is no substitute for fresh outdoor air. Open a window, turn on a fan and enjoy nature’s own fresh aroma!
7.) Choose safe art supplies
It’s hard to think of the markers, paints and glues that we all grew up with as hazardous but even 1/4 cup of “non-toxic” products can be fatal to a small child. Below are a few examples of healthy, green art supplies by category…
Paints:
Go for water based and tempura paints (no solvents) colored with natural, non-metal containing pigments.
Markers and dry erase:
According to EPP Rapid Research, most markers and dry eerase pens are labeled as ‘AP’ non-toxic and ‘low odor’ but they still contain solvents that offgas. As EPP points out, it isn’t so harmful that one child in one classroom uses a dry erase pen, it’s when 30 children with 30 pens use them at the same time in a closed room that it begins to pose a health hazard. Even Expo brand markers, which have become ubiquitous in school supply lists, contain butane. There is little information on safer markers but almost across the board Auspens are the preference.
Glues:
Limit exposure to rubber cements, super lues and other instant glues which contain strong solvents. Instead use water based, low VOC glues like Elmer’s Washable Glues.
Clays:
Avoid polymer clays (those clays that are soft at room temperature and harden in the over) which often contain phthalates. Crayola and Play-Doh make phthalate-free clays but making your own is much more fun (and easy!).
Art Smocks:
I’m starting to sound like a broken record here, but look for PVC-free alternatives like canvas, cotton or even recycled nylon (available through companies like Bumpkins, 3 Sprouts and Ecowise).
8.) Practice Precautionary Purchasing.
Simply put, if there isn’t sufficient reason to belive something is safe, assume it isn’t. Until regulations change and until we have more information about the health and environmental effects of consumer products, we are usually better off just saying ‘no thanks’ when clear and transparent information is lacking.
