Earth Month Focus: Waste
It is that time of the year again! Earth Day, which is April 22nd, will be here in just a few weeks. However, Earth Day does not need to be restricted to just one day. In fact, many schools and communities have spread out their activities and events in order to celebrate all month long! April is a great time to reflect on previous environmental efforts, learn about new ways to reduce your environmental impact, and lay out new green goals for the future. Not sure where to start? Trying to protect an entire planet can seem a little overwhelming! It is more manageable to start with one area, whether that be energy use, transportation emissions, wildlife habitat, or local food. The LPS Sustainability Department has explored the ways to cut back on waste and do our part to celebrate Earth Day every day!
Waste
Many people are familiar with the three ‘R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. However, more often than not, we are not quite sure what the difference is between these options or where to start. You can find examples of these efforts in Lincoln Public Schools and take those same concepts at home as well.
Reduce:
The first of the three ‘R’s is typically the most confusing or overlooked, but it can really have the biggest impact. Reducing waste involves making decisions that minimize the amount of waste created in the first place. If the waste isn’t created, then we don’t even have to think about how to keep it from ending up in the landfill! LPS staff and students are reducing waste every day through the advancements of technology. When a newsletter is sent out via e-mail or a lesson is completed using a chromebook, there is a reduction in the amount of paper waste being produced. This can easily translate to our choices at home. Choosing the grocery items with less packaging, switching to online billing, putting a stop to the junk mail…these are all easy ways to REDUCE waste.
Reuse:
Reusing materials instead of throwing them away seems simple, but there are always ways to expand these efforts. There are plenty of opportunities for reuse in our schools, whether it is writing on the back of an old worksheet or having a used clothing or book collection. Some items are easier to imagine reusing, such as donating clothing you have outgrown or furniture you no longer use. However, there are many ways to reuse items for a different purpose than they were originally intended. That toothbrush may not be great for cleaning teeth anymore, but it could still do some household scrubbing before you toss it in the trash. The jar that once held pasta sauce could now collect loose change or display some fresh cut flowers. Just because you may no longer have need a particular item, does not mean that it should sit useless in the landfill. When we REUSE our items, they continue to be valuable for ourselves or for others.
Recycle:
The recycling symbol is something that many of us recognize, but what does it really mean to recycle and why is it beneficial? When we recycle, whether it be paper, plastic, or cardboard, we are collecting those materials to be used for creating new products. Collecting these materials allows manufacturers to make products from recycled content rather than harvesting the raw materials. Put an aluminum can in a trash can and it will sit in the landfill. Put an aluminum can in the recycling bin and it could be part of someone’s brand new bicycle. All LPS buildings have participated in the district recycling program since 2002, which collects paper, cardboard, newspaper & magazines, plastic & aluminum, and steel cans. Through successful coordination of the program, the district has recycled over 20 million pounds of material, which has helped reduce our environmental impact substantially. LPS also recycles our leftover food scraps by sending them to be composted (recycled) into a nutrient-rich soil amendment.
Whether you use a residential recycling service or make a stop at one of the city recycling drop off sites, a great way to celebrate Earth Month is a renewed focus on putting materials in the appropriate container! Let’s RECYCLE right! And next time you are at the store, be sure to check for those different labels indicated that the product was made from recycled content. Buying those products supports the recycling process and reduces our environmental impact.
Updated March 14, 2024
