Going to School Eco-Style!

Photo: Opt for fresh produce like fruit to bring to school.

Being at school can be fun, but it can also be aggravating. Why? Because sometimes it is hard to find time in your busy schedule to think about being green and make an effort to change your bad habits. However, it really isn’t such a hard task, and everybody should try their best to do their part for the planet. So here are some ways that you can be green at school!

1. Pack your snacks and lunches in reusable containers.

Students obviously eat a lot of food each day at school. When consuming food such as chips and other packaged foods, we produce a lot of waste. So instead of buying packaged and processed foods, opt for fresh produce such as delicious strawberries or homemade goods. Not only is it better for you, but it’s likely that the food will come with less packaging.

The next step is to buy reusable containers to transport your food to school. There are a wide variety of containers available at grocery stores – ones made from plastic or glass. If you are bringing a food that needs to be microwaved, you should use glass containers. If you microwave food in plastic containers, chemicals used to make the container may very well leak into your food if you pop it in the microwave.

If you can’t fully adjust to having healthy food 100 per cent of the time, there’s still a way to help the environment. Instead of buying chips from the vending machine at school, you could buy a large bag of potato chips (or rice cakes) and then bring smaller servings in reusable containers, reducing the amount of garbage from the chip bags. Plus, it’s much cheaper to buy one big bag, rather than several smaller bags!

2. Don’t waste paper!

As most students know, a major part of high school involves taking notes. The majority of people use up about one notebook per subject. If you have four courses per semester, you’re using approximately eight notebooks per year. So make sure to always use both sides of the paper when you write, instead of only using the front side, and try to double up on the subjects per notebook if you’re taking two courses that don’t involve too much note taking.

Another good idea is to use scribblers made from recycled materials. Good examples of top quality notebooks are the ones made by the company, Ecojot. Its ink and glues are both vegetable-based; therefore, biodegradable. Its product is 100 per cent made with recycled materials, and finally, its paper mill is even powered by biogas harnessed from a landfill. These notebooks are also sturdy and fashionable, coming in a variety of styles and designs.

3. Carpool to school!

Much has been said in the media about the pollution that cars create in this world. But since everybody needs to get to school somehow, why not ride together? If you take the city bus or the school bus, great! It is an awesome way to reduce the number of cars on the road. If not, you may want to carpool, which is an eco-friendly and fun way to get around. Find some of your friends who live in your area and pick them up on the way!

As you can see, becoming green really isn’t an unachievable task. All it takes is a little thought at the beginning, and from there, thought will turn into habit!