Waste Management Encourages Parents to Teach New Recycling Habits as School Year Begins

Five easy ways to make this school year the greenest ever for children
School is back in session for kids and Waste Management of Southern California would like to encourage everyone to kick off the new school year by being green, both in classrooms and at home.

“Back to school is an exciting time for everyone and a great opportunity to recommit to good recycling habits,” said Eloisa Orozco area communications manager for Waste Management of Southern California. “Fostering good recycling habits among children at an early age can help develop the next generation of environmental champions so that together, we can conserve earth’s precious resources.”

Waste Management would like to share the following tips to reduce, reuse and recycle this school year:

” Purchase products made from recycled materials: A new school year means new notebooks, binders, paper and printer ink all of which are available with recycled content.
” Pack a lunch with reusable gear: Packing a lunch is a healthy habit for everyone in the family. Buying lunch at school or eating out often means more calories, more money and more waste, whereas packing a lunch gives you an opportunity to use leftovers and save money. By utilizing reusable gear, like a fun lunch box or environmentally friendly water bottle, you can also save on waste.
” Utilize carpools or public transportation: While cars may be convenient, traffic and high gas prices certainly are not. Taking advantage of school buses to transport children to and from school is not only cost-effective, it can also save you time. Or, take a break from driving by organizing a neighborhood carpool or consider green options like walking or biking as a family.
” Turn off and unplug appliances when you are not using them: Computers, printers, fax machines and other wired devices cost money when not in use, even when they are in sleep mode or turned off. Help conserve energy by unplugging these appliances when you are not using them. Encourage kids to get involved too and make them responsible for doing one last check before leaving the house to make sure all lights and small appliances are turned off and unplugged.
” Donate last year’s clothes to charity: A new back to school wardrobe is many students favorite part of summer’s end but don’t forget about last year’s clothes! Encourage children to donate old outfits to charity and help give their wardrobe a second life.

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