August is the month that many of us with children have learned to dread. It's time to fight the crowds at local stores to get our kids supplied for the new school year. What with shopping for the best price, the right supplies, and the right mix of trendy, yet not too trendy, supplies, it's hard to survive the experience with a smile. As you fend off that child's urge to purchase every supply and article adorned with the Jonas Brothers' mugs or Miley Cyrus' pearly whites, is it possible to be eco-smart?
I'm happy to report to you that being back-to-school eco-smart is easier than ever. While my gasoline budget didn't allow me to visit every store in Morgan Hill, most stores carry a variety of school supplies made with recycled content.
Look for recycled content in both paper and plastic products. Don't forget to think about durability, too. A well-made three-ring binder should last all year with refills. The same can't be said for cheaper binders or spiral notebooks.
Some clothes are greener than others, too. Clothes with recycled plastic fibers and organic cotton are available at select stores. There are also some very green shoes available.
Commit to prepare low-waste lunches this year. Using refillable durable containers, a well-made lunchbox, and a refillable water bottle can contribute to less waste. A simple cost-saving idea is to avoid single-use packaging.
Don't forget to bring your own bag when making these shopping trips and shop local so everybody wins.
One of the biggest environmental impacts associated with schools is not the lunch waste, the water used to irrigate playfields, or those dang bells. What about those long lines of minivans and SUVs idling out in front of each school twice a day? What ever happened to walking and biking to school? Nowadays, it seems that nearly every child is chauffeured to school in a carbon-emitting hunk of steel. Do you think that there might be a connection between the falling numbers of walk-to-schoolers and the skyrocketing rates of child obesity? Data shows that only about 10 percent of the nation's kids regularly walk to school. If you live close, but have gotten out of the habit of having your kids walk or bike, here are some ideas to get you started:
Make a commitment to yourself and your kids that you can live with. Perhaps you can just say that you'll walk or bike one day per week to start with.
Get partners. Arrange to meet other kids or families to walk or bike together. Having people mutually dependent on each other is a key strategy for staying committed.
Carpool. Walking and biking isn't always practical, but if you must drive, seek out other families and reduce your collective emissions.
Eco-Fact of the Week: $6.6 billion was the amount of money spent at family clothing stores in August 2005. Only in October, November and December - the holiday shopping season - were sales equal or higher. Similarly, bookstore sales in August 2005 totaled $2.2 billion, an amount approached in 2005 only by sales in January and December. (The dollar volume estimates have not been adjusted for seasonal variations, holiday or trading day differences or price changes.) (From the US Census Bureau)
Tony Eulo Anthony Eulo is the environmental programs manager for the city and assistant to the city manager. He welcomes questions, comments and thoughts and can be reached at 779-7247.
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