As we reach the final hurrah of the summer, Labor Day, we are drawn toward the thought of another school year and how parents, students and faculty alike, are all striving to establish sustainable solutions that save money and help the environment.
For those of you returning to school, or sending a child off to school, here are a few tips that are eco-conscious and budget-friendly:
- Carpooling: If you’re driving kids to elementary school, or commuting to undergraduate college classes, consider setting up a carpooling group. In a recent article, we learned that families spend an average $150 on gas and driving costs per month. By carpooling, those costs could be reduced significantly depending on how large your group, and carbon emissions could be reduced by minimizing the number of cars on the road.
- Recycle: Many school functions revolve around paper products, from composition books to textbooks, and students are hard-pressed to find a day that doesn’t require the use of paper. This school year, be conscious about conserving all types of paper products – whether that means you commit to a paperless study habit or set a cap on how much you print per week. This also includes recycling; instead of throwing away paper, make the point to recycle it. If your school doesn’t have a recycling program, drive the initiative and get one started.
- Reuse: While not all school products are reusable, get creative about the ones that are. Have a half-used notebook from last semester? Continue using the remaining pages until it’s full. Not sure where all your pens went? Go through book bags and desks before buying new ones. And reuse doesn’t stop at traditional school supplies – encourage your school to reuse and refurbish non-traditional items as well, including desks, chairs, podiums and more. Often times furniture refinishing or an updated color changes will bring these pieces back to like-new condition.
Have additional ideas as to how schools, students and families can become more sustainable this year? Submit a comment on the blog or send us a tweet at @RefinishTouch. As always, we would love to hear from you.
And from the entire team at The Refinishing Touch, we hope you have a safe and happy Labor Day!