5 more ways to green your school

Photo by fjny

A few weeks ago, I wrote about five great ways to green your school.  These tips give you a good start on minmizing your school's overall impact on the environment, but they're just the tip of the iceburg.  There are tons of things that you can do to help reduce waste, slash energy energy use, save water and minimze the chemicals used at your school.  Here are five more ideas from The Green Teen: The Eco-Friendly Teen's Guide to Saving the Planet, to get you going in a green direction:

 

Ditch the car
Walk, ride, carpool or take public transportation to school each day. Organize a “Walk to School” event for the next Walk To School Day on Oct. 8. Check out Walk To School for ideas.

 

Seek out green supplies
Need to buy a few new supplies for school? Look for stuff that’s made from recycled and non-toxic materials. Choose art supplies that are water or vegetable based. Invest in reusable products such as rechargeable batteries and refillable pens, pencils and scotch tape. Seek out products that use the least amount of packaging. Better yet, save money and packaging by buying in bulk (go in with a friend if you won’t use it all).

 

The next time you want to try out a new sport, instrument or hobby, consider renting or borrowing equipment instead of buying new stuff that might just go to waste.

 

Pass it on
At the end of the school year, sell or donate your extra school supplies, equipment and books to reduce the clutter in your home and maybe add a little green to your wallet. Sell textbooks through Craigslist or Ebay, or have a yard sale.

 

Find out how your school gets rid of bugs, rodents and weeds, both inside and out. Encourage the use of Integrated Pest Management, a method that uses non-chemical methods to control pests. Check out the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website to learn more.