Summer’s on its way out. At least it is for the kids. The holidays are coming to an end and soon they’ll be back at school, giving every parent across Australia a little bit of peace and quiet. Even if some regions of the nation are still conducting school remotely, they'll at least busy throughout the day with things other than video games, cricket, and making trouble.
But with the new conditions people all across the world are getting used to, now’s a great time to make a shift towards more environmentally friendly practices. Here are a few suggestions from the team here at Solargain to make getting the kids to school that little bit greener.
Travel Smarter
There are plenty of easy, simple ways to reduce your family’s carbon footprint when it comes to travelling. You could have the kids take the bus, or if feasible, walk, or ride their bikes to school, which isn’t just for the good of the environment, it’s great for your kid’s development and health. Alternatively, start a carpool with other parents in the neighbourhood! Take turns getting the kids to school, it lets everyone get a turn having a lie-in while reducing the number of cars on the road.
Pack an Eco-friendly lunch box
With reusable, insulated water bottles becoming more and more common, and with great, multi-compartment lunchboxes available at most supermarkets, there are plenty of eco-friendly options. Avoid individually packaged foods, and triple-wrapping things in plastic, since the goal here is to reduce the amount of packaging and plastic that ends up in the garbage.
Buy Recycled
School supplies made from recycled products are becoming more and more common as time goes on, and easier to get your hands on than you might think. Need a new backpack? Get one made from recycled plastics. You can even get recycled pencils and whiteout film now. Always be on the lookout for how you can get something new made from something old.
Also, keep an eye out for biodegradable plastics and supplies, as well as paper and notebooks made from recyclables, they’re infinitely friendlier to the environment than the alternatives.
Tone it Down
Try not to overbuy, keep in mind how much usually gets tossed out or gathers dust in a cupboard every year. Only buy the supplies you know your kid will need, not so many that half of them end up lost, and the rest end up back in the cupboard, you can always buy more supplies next year.
Practice what you preach
There is a lot to be said about nurture over nature. If your child sees you being green as they’re growing up, setting up recycle bins, doing your best to save energy and expressing your passion for sustainability, chances are, those are habits and passions they’ll pick up too. Make going green extend past the schoolyard, help your child help the world by showing them the way to a greener future.
