3 Ways for a Green Back-to-School
By Margaret Geary
Ah, back to school: the time to prepare lunches, get school supplies, pay school fees, upgrade backpacks and clothing, get back into a routine, and more. It can be such a stressful time, making any changes can seem overwhelming. Here are some ideas to help make life easier and greener for the upcoming school year.
Get rid of one-time use items and switch to reusable.
You can get reusable plastic baggies, Tupperware for food, refillable water bottles, and washable cutlery from places like the dollar store or local swap and buys. Many, if not all, are dishwasher safe, and reduce food waste and keep plastics from going into the garbage. If food is brought back home, it can be put into your green bin instead of the garbage as all Lethbridge households have composting available to them.
Swap, Recycle, and Thrift instead of buying new
Children grow (sometimes rapidly!) and will always need new clothes, shoes, and more. It can not only be expensive, but wasteful if all the clothing with holes are just thrown out. If you have friends with children younger than yours, or join parenting groups in your local area, you can sell or donate the items that no longer fit your children. Sending items to a new home that will love and use them will keep them out of the landfill. If there are holes, learn how to sew or darn items, or add patches to give it new life! You can also save the fabric to make new clothing items, turn into fabric yarn, or use them as dolls clothing or accessories such as blankets or hats. Thrifting your clothing is also a great option as you reduce your environmental footprint by buying something that has been previously worn that still has lots of life left in them. Lethbridge has many thrift stores such as Mission thrift, Salvation Army, and MCC. There are also consignment stores that will accept donations as well. Many nonprofits such as the YWCA and My City Care also accept donations that will go to families in need. You can find a full list of thrift stores and nonprofits that accept donations here.
Ask your school about their green initiatives
Does the school your child attends have any green initiatives? Volunteer to help create some! Collect pop can tabs to donate to turn into wheelchairs, plastic bottle tops, have recycling bins around the school, have compost bins in each classroom, and more! If your school has funding, see if you can start a sustainable community garden! The students can also help maintain it by weeding and learn about how plants grow. Ask to start a green squad where older students can monitor recycling during lunchtime, help with paper recycling and can recycling, and more! Ask them to be leaders in their community and teach the importance of keeping things green. Ask if you can switch up the science fair theme to recycling ideas and management. Ask your librarian what environmental books they have. The opportunities are endless.
There are so many ways to be more environmentally conscious when thinking about how we live, especially when we go to school. Parents can also model a lot of these ideas by putting recycling bins within the house, playing sorting games so children know what is recyclable and what is garbage, and by using reusable items in their own lunches and meal prepping. Children learn from what they see, and if they see their parents modelling green ideas, they are sure to ask questions and follow suit.
What ways have you made going back to school greener? We would love to hear from you in the comments!