It’s that time of year again! The kids are heading back to school and mothers around the nation are celebrating. They survived the long, dog days of summer and fall is on its way. Why not make it a ‘school year resolution’ to begin getting into eco-friendly routines that can help the planet and save you some big bucks.
Consciously making an effort to reduce, reuse and recycle can really be a money saver that will add a little padding to your wallet. Just imagine how much better off our world would be if we all made an effort to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible.
Check out these great recycling strategies that not only benefit the environment, it benefits your budget and sets an excellent example for the next generation.
7 Great Ways to Celebrate Back to School By Upping Your Recycling Efforts:
1. Reuse what you can from last year and rethink how you purchase your child’s school supplies – It might feel good to start the school year off with all new stuff, such as clothing, binders, folders, pens and pencils. But isn’t this just wasteful use of our resources; trees, water, energy, etc… If you do have to buy new stuff, make an effort to buy supplies made from recycled content, such as pencils made from newsprint.
2. Cut out the Brown bag lunches! EarthShare, an organization that promotes sustainability, shares that the average student who brings their lunch to school produces 67 pounds of waste a year. That adds up to 18,000+ pounds of waste produced by an average elementary school in one year. Invest in a lunchbox, reusable plastic containers, cloth napkins and a thermos. Avoid buying individually packaged foods – that adds up to a lot of unnecessary trash.
3. Ditch the Disposable Water Bottles. Save the planet and save some money by using filtrated tap water and stainless steel insulated sports water bottles, they keep the water cooler.Those plastic water bottles are bad for you and bad for the environment. This article by hydralife tells you why bottled water is so bad for you. The production of Plastic water bottles use 17 million barrels of oil each year in the US alone and contribute to 3 billion pounds of waste per year. These bottles are killing the ocean and its inhabitants.
4. Put Your Child on the Bus & Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. If the bus is not an option, set up a carpool with neighbors or arrange for a chaperoned “walkpool”. You’ll save gas and get some exercise in the process!
5. Become a Recycling Pro and Advocate. While this should go without saying, many households across the US have still failed to embrace recycling. The earth’s resource s are limited and the more we recycle, the better it is for all of earth’s inhabitants. Click Here for some recycling facts. Parents need to set a good example by upping their recycling efforts and becoming an advocate for ec0-friendly living.
6. Recycle Old Cellphones and Batteries. Batteries release toxic wastes or metals that leach into ground water and into the air when not properly disposed. Click Here to find a battery and cellphone recycling center near you and avoid dumping them in landfills, at all costs.
7. Reduce Electrical Waste. Many fail to recognize that electrical waste is happening on a daily basis inside the home. There are many ways to reduce the amount of wasted electricity; have family members turn off lights, unplug cellphone, tablet and laptop chargers when not in use. Buy Smart Power Strips that will stop drawing electricity from appliances that are turned off.
So there you have it, 7 simple and effective ways that your household can help the planet and save money. The big bonus of embracing these environmental friendly practices is that you are setting a good example for your children, which will be passed down for generations to come. If you’d like to become an advocate for ‘Greener Schools’, check out this video by Green Schools Initiative and get your child’s school on the road to a green future! https://vimeo.com/15640705
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
An Air Force veteran from Texas, Steve Masterson co-founded Waste Masters Solutions. Waste Masters services the tri-state area with commercial and industrial waste minimization, recycling and waste removal services. Steve is proud of his dedicated team, capable of handling large companies from PBF Refineries and 3M to the local businesses and small entrepreneurs, which he believes are the lifeline of our country. Waste Masters is large enough to get the job done, small enough to care.