Now that the kids are back in school, life's focus shifts away from care-free summer days and back to more mundane concerns.
That includes figuring out how to shuttle all the kids back and forth from school and after-school activities, how to save money on the 11-inch-long list of must-have school supplies and what to pack for your little one's lunch every day.
As you take on all those tasks, don't forget about the environment. "Back to school" doesn't have to mean "back to high-consumption and heavy carbon-footprint" living.
Following are a few tips to minimize your schoolchildren's impact on the planet ... and to sometimes save money too:
- Make the most of paper. When writing or drawing, encourage your kids to use both sides of the sheet. And if you're printing from a computer file, adjust margins, fonts and spacing for maximum efficiency. (A Pennsylvania State University study a few years ago found that such adjustments could reduce a 100-page print job to 20!) When you can't reuse whole sheets, cut up used paper to use unprinted parts for little notes and reminders. And, of course, whenever it's feasible, try to stick with eco-friendly, recycled papers.
- Use reusable sacks, drink containers, lunch boxes – even napkins, if you can (that is, if your little guy or gal is good about remembering to bring them home). This not only reduces waste but is better for your budget, too. Prepackaged lunches, snacks and single-serving juice containers are generally far more costly than larger or bulk purchases.
- Buy responsibly. Kids outgrow clothes so quickly, you have a good chance of finding like-new or lightly worn school duds at resale shops and second-hand boutiques. Second-hand or vintage (that sounds so much more fashionable, doesn't it?) clothing is not only easy on the wallet but easier on the planet, too, since it doesn't require new resources or additional energy to make. With so many designer resale shops popping up, you might even be able to find one-of-a-kind, name-brand duds that will help your kids feel extra stylish in school.
- Make recycling a mantra at home and at school. A growing number of schools are instituting waste-reduction, recycling and energy conservation programs, so ask the people at your school what they're doing to help. If your school doesn't already recycle, ask it to start. (According to one estimate, schools generate 200 pounds of trash per student per school year.) And be sure to keep a bin handy in your home for collecting recyclable printer paper, old notes and homework, and out-of-date school flyers, book fair brochures and more.)
The copyright of the article Keep Back-to-School Routines Eco-Friendly in Green/Simple Living is owned by Shirley Siluk Gregory. Permission to republish Keep Back-to-School Routines Eco-Friendly in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
 |
