When working towards a zero waste lifestyle, making adjustments to the way you’ve always done or thought about things can be really hard. Throw kids into the mix, and it’s even harder. Throw kids’ teachers/schools/friends in, and it seems like an uphill battle you will never win. Luckily, you can help the transition to a zero waste school with simple ideas.
Part of living low waste is accepting that you cannot change anyone else – though you can certainly influence others through your actions. The waste that comes in from outside the home is often hard to quit. However, when we send our kids off to school each year, there are some things we can control. If you remember to use what you have whenever possible, refuse what you do not need, reuse/repurpose when you can, and recycle what you can’t, you’ll be on the way to a zero waste school year.
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Back to School Prep
Clothes Shopping – Who doesn’t love a new back to school outfit? It’s fun to dress fresh for the first day of school. Unfortunately, one of the biggest culprits in the climate emergency is the fashion industry. According to this study conducted by Quantis, the apparel and footwear industries “account for an estimated 8.1% of global climate impacts.” Instead of buying new clothes every year, try searching secondhand/consignment stores or organizing a clothes swap for friends & friends of friends. When you must buy new, consider styles your kids will actually wear vs what you want them to wear, and buy well made clothes that will last instead of fast fashion that will break down quickly. It is also important to note that like us, our kids will have their favorite clothes that they put in a short rotation. Do they really need 10 brand new shirts to crowd the closet?
School Supplies – One of the mantras of zero waste applies here. Use what you have. Pencil boxes, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, erasers, highliters, backpacks, lunchboxes, etc. These are all things my son does not use up in a single school year, yet we are prompted to buy new each year. The list could go on, but you get the point. Reevaluate whether or not your kids need a ‘fresh’ box of pens when theirs write just fine. Buy a backpack with great reviews that is built to last in a style/print that can grow with your child.
After the First Day
Transportation
Did your mom have a carpool with the neighbor ladies when you were growing up? Mine did, and it seemed like everyone else did too. If you take a look at the car line at an elementary school today – it is clear that most today do not. We live close to our school, and we walk – regardless of weather. The exception to this is when there is a severe storm. I have begun walking my youngest to school as well, even though it’s close to a mile away. It gives me some exercise and keeps us out of the car. Those little 1 mile trips add up over the years. Not to mention the idling in line. When possible, walking or biking are the best options. Carpooling is a great choice if you live too far for that.
Lunches
It is so easy to throw in a Lunchable, granola bar, or whatever other prepackaged snack you’ve got into the box and send the kids on. It’s easy to not have your kids bring home dishes. But it’s also easy to teach your kids to rinse out the containers you sent food in and put them in the dishwasher. It’s easy to throw the cloth napkin they took to school in with the rest of the laundry you’re already doing. What’s hard is committing to a change. But you can do it! Try committing to packing with reusable containers and utensils. (No need to buy a shiny new Bento box – I know you’ve got a full Tupperware drawer.) Send a reusable water bottle with your child – they can fill up at the water fountain. And yes, in nearly every city in the country they can drink unfiltered water safely. Pack that cloth napkin, and it can double as a protective wrap for their apple or banana.
Communication
Today, there is very little reason to send physical notes, other than consent forms, to school. Ask your teacher for their preferred method of electronic communication. (We have e-mail as well as a separate messaging/behavior tracking system at my son’s school.) When you do send a note, do it on a scrap you’ve saved. I could fill a pool with the front-used-only sheets of paper sent home in a given year. Need to send money or something more secure? Take one of those used school papers and fold it into a little envelope, or designate a specific envelope you will reuse to send lunch money and write “Please Return Envelope” on the outside. This does not have to be difficult.
Single Use Items
One principle of zero waste we’ve already talked about is using what you have. Another is ditching single use items. This has been addressed in both lunch preparation and communication, but there are other areas where this comes up with regards to schools. Once you’ve been at it for a while, you will find yourself noticing just how many single use items we chunk out regularly. One example of this is staples. Sure they’re metal, but how many of us are removing and recycling staples? Are they even big enough to recycle? While I can think of some scenarios that staples would be very handy, most of the time that I use staples (single use) a paperclip (reusable) would suffice. Can you find an alternative to using Scotch tape in at least some cases? Can you send your child with a handkerchief when they are battling dreaded allergies instead of two boxes of tissue/kid?
Parties
I know some parents who truly hate school parties. I am not one of those parents. Truth is I love a good party, and I like to think about my kid having fun at school. However, school parties are a huge waste generating machine. Offer to bring in a set of reusable plates/cups for the class’ parties, and offer to take them home to wash them afterwards. Talk to your teacher about organizing a list of food items that do not come in single use packaging. (Some ideas are fruit, home baked goods, treats from a local bakery, etc.) I also think that kids would be just fine without the Dollar Store gift exchanges. My kids do love bubbles and cheap slinkies, but out of sight out of mind, right? The key here is offering to help as much as you possibly can. Nobody wants to make a change that equals tons of added work on their party plate!
The Busy Day to Day
After School Snacks – We have a house full of hungry boys. After school snacking is part of daily life. We’ve switched from individually packaged convenience foods to fruits and snacks that I can make ahead from bulk bin ingredients. Some of our personal favorites are homemade granola bars and Larabars. We also make trail mix regularly from bulk bin nuts and dried fruits. I make these snacks once per week. Once they’re gone, the kids eat apples or whatever else they can find until the next week.
Weeknight Dinners – My oldest is only 7, but we already have begun the weeknight hustle during sports seasons. The key to keeping waste down during the week is planning and preparation. At the end of each week, I meal plan for the following week. I plan quick and easy dinners for nights that are busy, and we build in leftovers once per week to help battle food waste. When we revert to convenience foods, it is usually due to a failure in planning on my part. Planning helps us reduce waste, but also saves me the stress of thinking about what’s for dinner every night. Win-win.
The Bigger Picture
There are some schools out there doing truly amazing things. I’ve read about huge community gardens maintained by the kids and teachers. There are school districts who are battling food waste by sending unserved food home with students who may not otherwise eat dinner. Some have begun large scale composting programs. There are classes participating in zero waste school initiatives such as online assignment submissions.
If you have an idea for your school, pitch it. The worst that could happen is a rejection – which really is just keeping the status quo. Best case scenario, you are a catalyst for change on a scale bigger than your home. Living zero waste is a great start, but for real change to occur there simply is not enough we can do inside the walls of our homes. By getting involved in our communities and proposing changes for the better and helping implement those changes, we can start a zero waste school snowball rolling. Hopefully it doesn’t melt too fast.
Don’t forget to check out my post about how we started the Zero Waste journey as a family! If you’re just getting started, check out this book – (the zero waste option here is literally – check it out!)