Woolridge Elementary School Green Club

I Didn't Know That Was Recyclable! - Shower Poofs

2010-11-15T06:43:00.000-05:00

Don't throw away your shower poof after you have finished using it. Recycle it! Shower poofs are made of #4 plastic. This type of plastic can be recycled where ever plastic grocery bags are recycled. All you have to do is cut off the rope/string before recycling it.

Trash vs. Landfill

2010-11-06T17:46:00.000-04:00

Ellwood Thompson's is a great organic grocery store here in Richmond. Located just off of Cary Street, they have a great variety of organic products and are very proud of their locally grown produce. I have found that many organic produce items are actually no more expensive than their non-organic counterparts.

One thing I recently noticed is that the trash containers in the store aren'e labeled as "TRASH". They're labeled as "LANDFILL". I think that most of us don't really think about or appreciate the tremendous amount of waste each and every one of us generates. If we thought to ourselves, "This item I'm about to throw out is going to end up in a landfill." then maybe we would think about if the item can be recycled or if there's a similar product that we can buy that isn't as wasteful. Something to think about!

Prescription Drug Disposal

2010-09-22T06:19:00.000-04:00

On September 25, 2010, DEA will coordinate a collaborative effort with state and local law enforcement agencies to remove potentially dangerous controlled substances from our nation’s medicine cabinets. Collection activities will take place from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. at sites established throughout the country. The National Take-Back Day provides an opportunity for the public to surrender expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications for destruction. These drugs are a potential source of supply for illegal use and an unacceptable risk to public health and safety.

This one-day effort is intended to bring national focus to the issue of increasing pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse.

•The program is anonymous.

•Prescription and over the counter solid dosage medications, i.e. tablets and capsules accepted.

•Intra-venous solutions, injectables, and needles will not be accepted.•Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative.

Find collection site(s) near you.

Please check back often as new collection sites will be added daily.

Old School PSA with ALF

2010-09-04T15:23:00.006-04:00

Waste Free Lunches

2010-08-28T14:48:00.001-04:00

There are lots of enterprising companies that offer products so parents can pack a waste-free lunch for their children. Not to be a party pooper, but I see no real need for these special products. My son eats a peanut butter sandwich, some canned fruit, and some chocolate chip cookies. We just use some plain jane food storage containers and put his milk in a thermos. We include a napkin that is made from recycled paper. My son has been great remembering to not throw out his containers.

I wish more parents would use reusable containers instead of using Ziplock bags. BTW - Ziplock bags can be recycled. They are accepted (sans zipper) at facilities that accept plastic grocery bags. I can’t think of anything that a kid would normally have in his/her lunch that couldn’t go in a reusable container. Using reusable containers not only allows you to eliminate the need for disposable bags, it saves money. For example, instead of buying individual servings of applesauce, you can buy a big jar of applesauce and pour it into a reusable container. One of my goals is to start a “Waste-free Wednesday” program at our school. The lunch staff would reward students who brought a waste-free lunch by taking their picture for publication on the club’s blog.

Some schools have a Boomerang Lunch Program. They encourage students who bring their lunch to bring all of their uneaten food and their waste home with them for disposal. This has numerous benefits. Parents can see what their children are or aren't eating and can adjust the lunches appropriately. Parents will also see how much waste every lunch generates and will hopefully take the initiative to use reusable containers instead of disposable packaging. If enough student bring a waste-free lunch, the waste volume generated in the cafeteria can be reduced dramatically. This reduction can potentially result in the school being able to reduce the dumpster size and/or its pickup frequency. Did you know that it costs about $15 a day for trash pickup at Woolridge? More waste-free lunches in tandem with a vigorous recycling program can allow the school to save several hundred dollars in waste hauling fees. So do your part and pack a waste-free lunch for your child today!

Mixed Media Contest - Photo Entries

2010-05-21T11:54:00.001-04:00

Here are the photos submitted for our First Annual Mixed Media Contest

1st Place - Jack Y.

2nd Place - Max L.

3rd Place - Jill K.
Click HERE to see photos .

Mixed Media Contest - Essay Entries

2010-05-21T08:46:00.000-04:00

We had a great turn out for our First Annual Mixed Media Contest. Here are the three essays that were received as part of our contest.

1st Place: Go Green - by Morgan S.

It is importin to always be working hard to save our Earth. Our Earth needs out help to be healthy. One way to help is to use less water. By using less water you can save our Earth and us. You can take shorter shours. Also you can save electricity. Another way is to turn off the lights when not using them. You can also use old stuff like magazines for art projects. You can use old pictures for a person to decorate with. You can use less plastic. You should do that because it takes about 500 years for plastic to break down in the dump. You can donate clothes and other things instead of throwing them away. Donate them! There is so much to do, but if we work together we can save our Earth.

2nd Place: Untitled - by Brian W

Recycling really helps the Earth. To help the Earth stay clean you can recycle cans, bottles, cardboard and, paper. If you see [the recycling symbol] with a number in side you can recyle this object. If you are recycling a bottle, don't recycle the cap. If you don't have a recycle bin you can use a paper bag. So now y know how to recycle. Try not to do it just at home. Do it everywhere. I love my Earth and you should too. Let's recycle every day.

3rd Place: How I help the Earth - by Kyle C

Drink from a reusable bottle... that is how I help reduce, reuse, and recycle. I also conserve electricity by turning out the lights when I leave a room. I conserve out valuable water resources when I take a shower. It is important to keep the Earth clean for generations to come.

Green Club Basket at Silent Auction

2010-05-13T13:35:00.000-04:00

The Woolridge Elementary School Green Club has put together a basket of numerous "green" items for the silent auction beind held on May 15, 2010 during the school's Spring Carnival. Proceeds from the silent auction benfit the Woolridge PTA who, it turn, use the funds to support our school. The following items have been generously donated by local businesses and individuals.

Programmable thermostat (including installation) from Hix Heating and Air Conditioning
(2) fresh produce boxes delivered to your home from Dominion Harvest
Planet Earth: The Complete Series DVD (5-disc set) from Best Buy
(2) Recycled Juice Bag Tote Bags
(3) Recycled Juice Bag Pencil Cases
(2) Recycled Juice Bag Portfolios
Recycled Juice Bag Lunch Box
Circuit Board Desk Clock
Circuit Board Photo Frame
Recycled soda bottle laynards
Recycled newspaper pencil pack of 24
Woolridge reusable grocery bag
(2) Snack Taxi Sandwich and Snack bags
Worm Poop Plant Food
Pack of CFL Light Bulbs
MilkMuny recycled wallet

Reducing Paper Towel Consumption

2010-05-05T16:34:00.000-04:00

Woolridge Elementary School orders 30 cases of paper towels per month, and each case costs $16.66. That equates to nearly $5,000 a year spent on paper towels. That's 1,200,000 paper towels that are thrown in the trash each year!

I felt it was important to reduce the number of paper towels used at our school for a number of reasons. First of all, it's important to conserve our trees, which are an important natural resource. It takes a lot of energy to create paper towels, and creates a lot of pollution too. Paper towels are a problem on the other end too as they end up in our landfills. But another reason to reduce our paper towel consumption is to save money. These stickers have been proven to reduce paper towel consumption by 15%. Some schools have reported a 30% reduction in consumption. In the case of Woolridge, a 15% reduction amounts to an annual savings of about $750! Multiple that out across the 60+ schools in our school district, and you're talking about tens of thousands of dollars - all because of simple little sticker that reminds people that "these come from trees".

During Earth Week, Woolridge students placed "These Come From Trees" stickers on the paper towel dispensers located in the various classrooms and bathrooms in the school. They were generously provided to us free of charge by Pete Kazanjy. He's a product manager/designer living in the Silicon Valley, and this is a fun side project that he hopes can do some good. Click HERE to read about how the idea of "These Come From Trees" stickers was born.

So be on the lookout for these stickers the next time you're visiting Woolridge Elementary School. Remember to take only what you really need. I bet you'll find that you only really need one or two paper towels to dry your hands instead of a a big giant handful. You'll be saving the trees as well as saving our school district some money.

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

2010-05-03T16:54:00.005-04:00

The Woolridge Elementary School Green Club recently collected hair and nylons as part of their 1st Annual Recycling Bonanza. Out timing for collecting these items is fortunate given the current crisis in the Gulf of Mexico. The hair and nylons we collected will be sent to a great orgnization called Matter of Trust.

A huge nationwide response is currently taking place to help get hair boom to the gulf coast beaches in need. Matter of Trust has 12 locations spread out through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida that are receiving hair. There are hundreds of volunteers having Boom B Q parties where they're making the boom.

Thousands are signing up to their database program Excess Access (free and fast) to be assigned where to send hair, fur, waste wool clippings and used nylons (washed, runs ok) for making the booms. Please see their Youtube for information on Hair Mats and Hair Booms!

Virginia Green Restaurants - "The Republic"

2010-04-23T13:37:00.000-04:00

Restaurants are an integral part of Virginia’s tourism industry, and they are certainly the most numerous sector of Virginia tourism! As such, Virginia Green Restaurants have the opportunity to have a significant impact on people’s daily lives and how they think about the environment.

What does it take to be a Virginia Green Restaurant? At a minimum, facilities must commit to:

Minimize the use of disposable food service products: Restaurants are required to minimize the use of disposable food service products and maximize the use of food service products that are recyclable or compostable in the service area. When disposable food service items are used, Restaurants are encouraged to use products that are made from bio-based or renewable resources, and to provide for the collection/ recycling/ composting of food service items disposed of on the premises.
Recycle Grease: Most restaurants are required by local ordinance to collect and recycle their grease. Grease filtering companies can also greatly reduce grease wastes (and costs).
Recycle and Reduce Waste: Glass bottles must be recycled for Virginia Green Restaurants. Recycling of steel cans, aluminum cans, cardboard, plastic, paper, and composting of waste foods are highly encouraged.
Use Water Efficiently: The facility must have a plan for conserving water that should consider water-saving dishwashers, faucets, and toilets; leak detection, and an effective landscape watering plan.
Conserve Energy: The facility must have a plan in place to reduce overall energy consumption. The “plan” should consider replacing lighting and equipment with energy-efficient alternatives such as compact-fluorescent lighting, LED Exit signs, lighting sensors, efficient heating and cooling, and ENERGY STAR kitchen appliances and computers.

I recently had the opportunity to eat at The Republic, a great restaurant located at 2053 W. Broad Street. They feature foods inspired by the republics of Spain and Portugal. The Republic is one of a number of Virginia Green Restaurants in the Richmond area. Click HERE to see a list of participating restaurants.

From The Republic's website:

"We are proud to be one of Richmond’s most environmentally friendly restaurants. We strive to be as "green" as possible and have implemented several energy efficient modifications throughout the restaurant during our renovation process. From the repurposed hardwoods used to build our floor and bar to the recycled and biodegradable materials used in our menus, napkins, and to-go boxes or to the solar generated electricity that powers the entire facility, the REPUBLIC is driven to be environmentally friendly and energy sufficient (and self-sustaining)."

Jonathan the Juggler Teaches Woolridge to "Go Green"

2010-04-22T15:26:00.000-04:00

Jonathan the Juggler visited Woolridge Elementary School earlier this week to teach students about recycling and protecting our environment.

Earth Day - 2010

2010-03-24T08:39:00.025-04:00

April will be a busy month at Woolridge Elementary School. The Woolridge Elementary School Green Club is sponsoring numerous activities to help celebrate Earth Day all month long.

MIXED MEDIA CONTEST

Students of all ages are encouraged to submit a drawing, photo, or essay about a green topic of their choice. Here are some possible ideas:

• Write an essay about why it’s important to recycle.

• Take a photograph of local wildlife or habitat.
• Create an art project using recycled materials.

• Create a comic strip.

Students can submit as many entries as they want. They can submit their entries to their teacher, or they can e-mail their entries to gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com. Entries must be submitted by Friday, April 23, 2010. All entries will be displayed on the Woolridge Elementary School Green Club blog. A panel of teachers and parents will recognize several of the best entries, and winning entries will be posted in the cafeteria for everyone to see.

1ST ANNUAL RECYCLING BONANZA

Just in time for spring cleaning, the Woolridge Elementary School Green Club will be holding its first annual Recycling Bonanza. The event will take place from April 5 through April 30. We will be collecting the items listed below so that they can be reused or recycled. You can send in items with your child or feel free to stop by the school yourself. Collection bins will be located in the front lobby of the school. Read on and see how you can participate and help out. Send us an e-mail at gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com if you have any questions about the Recycling Bonanza.

Small Electronics

Electronic waste accounts for 70 percent of the overall toxic waste currently found in landfills, according to Global Futures Foundation. In addition to valuable metals like aluminum, electronics often contain hazardous materials such as mercury. When placed in a landfill, even in small doses, these materials can contaminate soil as well as drinking water. Click HERE to learn more about the dangerous materials often found in electronics. The Woolridge Elementary School Green Club is participating in Recycle Forward, an innovative program that recycles used technology to raise money for new technology for schools, and is asking community members for help.

The following is a list of acceptable items:

Cell phones
Laptops
PDAs
MP3 players
Digital cameras
GPS systems
Video games and consoles
DVDs
Calculators

The following is a list of non-acceptable items:

Computer hard drives
Monitors
Computer accessories
Televisions

Hair and Nylon Stockings

Your next hair cut can be a life saver! Matter of Trust is an ecological public 501 c 3 charity established in 1998. Thousands of hair salons and individuals throughout the US and abroad send Matter of Trust their hair clippings. The hair clippings are shipped to specific US manufacturers who weave them into mats that can soak up oil and clean our beaches and harbours. Last year, over 2,600 oil spills occurred in the world. They weren't all are high profile, but most had an impact on the environment.

Click HERE to see the hair mats in action.

Recycled hair clippings are also made into hair "booms" which are sausage shaped. Hair is stuffed into recycled nylons (with mesh to provide a strong exterior). These booms are then tied together and used to encircle and contain oil spills to keep oil from spreading.

So bring a plastic bag (preferably an old plastic grocery bag so the bag can be recycled) to your next hair cut and ask your barber/stylist to sweep up your cut hair. Ask the hair salon for any other hair clippings they have laying around while you're at it. Bring your hair clippings and depost them in the appropriate bin in the school's front lobby.

Don't throw out those nylon stocking if they get a run in them. Bring them to our Recycling Bonanza, place them in the appropriate bin, and help clean up oil spills and protect marine life.

Pet Supplies

If your pet is anything like mine, you've bought your pet some toys that they never bothered to play with. Those toys typically are sitting in the back of the coat closet or in the top shelf of the pantry. Gather up those gently/never been used toys and other pet supplies such as collars and leashes (no food please) and place them in the appropriate collection bin located in the school's front lobby. All collected pet toys and supplies will be donated to the Richmond SPCA.

Eye Glasses

More than 250 million adults and children worldwide suffer from poor vision because they don't have access to eye exams and eyeglasses. We will be collecting used eye glasses and donating them to LensCrafters so the glasses can go to those in need.

Sports Uniforms
Many of our kids have sports uniforms that they've used for one season and have since outgrown. Donated sport uniforms will be sent to disadvantaged children in the Phillipines. Please make sure uniforms are in decent condition and have been washed prior to donating them.

Stuffed Animals
We are collecting small stuffed animals (less than 8", such as a Beanie Baby) to donate to soldiers in Afghanistan. The soldiers love to give the animals to the local children, and the small size makes them easy to carry.

BUT WAIT!!! THERE'S MORE!!!

Earth Day
Wear a green shirt on Earth Day to show your support

Book Buddies Clean Up
Fifth grade and Kindergarten book buddies will (weather permitting) spend their time cleaning up the grounds around Woolridge Elementary School. Please make sure your children are dressed appropriately.

Batteries

Did you know that Woolridge Elementary School has a battery recycling program? All kinds of batteries are collected throughout the school year in the main office. Please continue to bring in all of the other types of batteries noted below.

Household batteries, both rechargeable and non-rechargeable, such as: D-cell, C-cell, AA, AAA, 9-volt, and button cells
Rechargeable battery packs from: Cell phones, cameras, laptop computers, power tools, etc.
Handheld electronics: Cell phones, iPods, PDAs, pagers, and so on.
Any other dry-cell batteries.

What types of batteries will NOT be accepted?

Lead acid batteries from: Automobile, motorcycle, boats, and outdoor power equipment
Any other wet-cell batteries

“These Come From Trees”

A single "These Come From Trees" sticker can save around a tree's worth of paper, every year. Hundreds of schools across the country have participated in this program with great success. Many schools have reported up to a 30% reduction in paper towel usage! These stickers will save Woolridge Elementary School over $1,000 over the course of the school year. Our students will place “These Come From Trees” stickers on paper towel dispensers throughout the school, and the Green Club will track our paper towel consumption. Be on the lookout for them and remember to use paper towels wisely.

Neighborhood Cleanup
Everyone is encourage to walk through their neighborhood during Earth Week (April 18 - 24) and pick up litter in their neighborhood. Send in pictures of you and your child(ren) picking up litter and we will include your picture on our blog! Just send pictures to gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com.

Product Review - Preserve Colander

2010-03-18T06:40:00.004-04:00

The old plastic colander I used broke one day so I needed to buy a new one. I went to Target and bought a new colander made from recycled plastic. It's made by Preserve, the same company that makes the toothbrushes I use. The first thing you notice is how strong, sturdy, and heavy the colander is. You could drop a bomb on this thing and it wouldn't even get a scratch. Here are some other features:

Made with 100% recycled #5 plastic and 100% recyclable

Easy-grip handles

Fast draining

Two convenient sizes

Sturdy and durable

Dishwasher safe

BPA free

Made in USA

Why should you buy products made with recycled content? In the case of my Preserve plastic colander, it requires:

At least 54% less water than virgin polypropylene

At least 64% less greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than virgin polypropylene

At least 75% less oil than virgin polypropylene

At least 48% less coal than virgin polypropylene

At least 77% less natural gas than virgin polypropylene

At least 46% less electricity than virgin polypropylene

The colander works great. Sure, it cost a few bucks more that my old colander, but this one is much more durable, made from recycled material, and was made in the good ol' USA.

Earth Day Tshirt and Snack Bag Sales

2010-02-25T22:21:00.004-05:00

Check out our new Earth Day Shirts and Snack Bags. Your child will bring home an Earth Day tshirt and snack bag order form on Monday March 1. Here are the fabric options (click on the image for a bigger image) for the bags ($7 and $9) and an example of the tshirt ($8). Orders are due by Friday March 12.

February Go Green Classroom Winners

2010-02-17T14:35:00.001-05:00

We are happy to report that Woolridge Elementary School is doing a great job of

Turning off the lights when everyone leaves the classroom

Recycling glue sticks

Cafeteria recycling

Shutting down all computers at the end of each day

The February Green Classrooms of the Month are:

Kindergarten - Mrs. Overby
First Grade - Mrs. Thorton
Second Grade - Mrs. Swanson
Third Grade - Mrs. Bryant
Fourth Grade - Mrs. English
Fifth Grade - Mr. Sydow

Congratulations to all students for Going Green!

Go Green Meeting - February 18

2010-02-11T14:53:00.006-05:00

Woolridge students are invited to a Go Green meeting on Thursday, February 18 at 8:30am in the music room. Come and hear Jennifer Sidleck, Executive Director of Friends of Chesterfield Riverfront talk to us about water runoff and how to protect our environment from water pollution. Jennifer will bring a cool Enviroscape display - http://www.enviroscapes.com/

Check out http://www.chesterfieldriverfront.org/

Janurary Go Green Classroom Winners

2010-01-15T08:59:00.004-05:00

We are happy to report that Woolridge Elementary School is doing a great job of

Turning off the lights when everyone leaves the classroom

Recycling glue sticks

Cafeteria recycling

Shutting down all computers at the end of each day

The January Green Classrooms of the Month are:

Kindergarten - Mrs. Lambert
First Grade - Mrs. Knight
Second Grade - Mrs. Kirk
Third Grade - Mrs. Encinas
Fourth Grade - Mrs. English
Fifth Grade - Mrs. Modena

Congratulations to all students for Going Green!

Woolridge Elementary School Green Club Now On Facebook

2010-01-12T16:43:00.003-05:00

I have created a group on Facebook for the Woolridge Elementary School Green Club. I hope to post links to interesting green news articles and other green tips. I'll also post about some of the possible ideas we're kicking around for the future. The group can also be a good venue for you to provide feedback and share your own ideas and tips.

So please join and invite your friends!

Battery Recycling Update - January 2010

2010-01-07T15:35:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I posted about the battery recycling program at Woolridge Elementary School. The battery recycling program started back in October 2008, and it has been a tremendous success. Many of you brought in your batteries so they could be recycled and not go into our landfills. So far we have recycled over 150 pounds of batteries.

In 2009, we had some bad news when the store we were bringing the batteries to stopped accepting alkaline batteries for recycling. The good news is that, because of our fundraising efforts, the Green Club pays to ship these batteries so they can be properly recycled. Batteries are shipped to Battery Solutions where the batteries are sorted according to their different types. Most of the batteries received at Woolridge are alkaline batteries. They are placed in molten mill furnaces as a feedstock. The zinc from the batteries is fumed off into a vacuum bag house for recovery, while the end metal product is used to make low-grade steel (i.e. rebar). Click HERE to learn how the other different battery types are recycled.

Please continue to bring in all of the other types of batteries noted below.

Household batteries, both rechargeable and non-rechargeable, such as: D-cell, C-cell, AA, AAA, 9-volt, and button cells

Rechargeable battery packs from: Cell phones, cameras, laptop computers, power tools, etc.

Handheld electronics: Cell phones, iPods, PDAs, pagers, and so on.

Any other dry-cell batteries.

What types of batteries will NOT be accepted?

Lead acid batteries from: Automobile, motorcycle, boats, and outdoor power equipment

Any other wet-cell batteries

So keep those batteries coming in. Please remember to not bring batteries in if they are leaking or damaged. Leaking batteries can burn your skin. Also, please remove batteries from any electronics device before putting them in the recycling bin.

Foam Soap Dispensers Save Money and the Environment

2010-01-05T12:54:00.003-05:00

This information is from the Issaquah School District in Washington State.

Small actions can make a big difference. By replacing liquid soap dispensers with foam soap, the Issaquah School District has managed to create less waste, save water, save time and save money for the district. Liquid dispensers and foam dispensers are the same size, but differ significantly in cost, waste generation, water use and maintenance.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

Waste Reduction
Foam soap is packaged in plastic bags, whereas liquid soap comes in plastic and cardboard. Using foam soap reduces the amount of cardboard waste created.

Water Savings
Foam soap is pre-lathered so students do not have to run water to lather up. Using foam soap reduces the amount of water used per wash.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Cost Savings

Foam soap costs $.004 per wash compared to $.01 - $.014 per wash of liquid soap.

Foam soap bags last 1,333 washes compared to 750 washes per liquid soap bag. This is due to the pre-lathered foam soap reducing the number of squirts needed per wash.

Dispensers are given to the district free of cost for foam soap.

Foam soap dispensers provide soap from the top, thus reducing gravity leaks.

Less leaking means less countertop cleaning for staff, saving time and money.

CONCLUSION

Switching from liquid to foam soap reduces waste generation, water use, staff time and budget.

Common Recycling Mistakes - The Dirty Dozen

2009-12-30T11:32:00.000-05:00

This past fall, there was a post about Common Recycling Mistakes. Here are the Top 12 Mistakes people make when it comes to curbside single-stream recycling (list courtesy of Boulder, Colorado's Ecocycle Times).

Plastic Bags: Plastic bags are far and away the WORST contaminant in the recycling bin. They are not recyclable through the curbside program. Plastic bag markets require that these materials be clean, dry and empty. Once they go in a commingled bin, they definitely do not meet the first two criteria. Mountains of wet, soiled plastic bags are pulled out by hand each week and sent to the landfill. Please keep bags out of your curbside bin and recycle them at participating grocery stores like Ukrops and Walmart. Better yet, purchase some WES Green Club reusable grocery bags. Here's a great video from a recycling facility in Boulder, Colorado to illustrate the fact.
Materials Bagged in Plastic Bags: The only thing worse than plastic bags are materials tied inside them. Workers need to slow the conveyor belts, rip the bags open to
get recyclables out and then add the bag to the plastic pile bound for the landfill. These inefficiencies are very costly to the program.
Non-Recyclable Plastics: CVWMA accepts narrow-necked plastic bottles labeled with a number 1 or number 2 ONLY. This includes many soda and water bottles, milk and juice jugs, and household cleaner bottles. Plastics with other numbers or 1 and 2 plastics that are not bottles (like margarine tubs and other food containers) are not recyclable in this program. They are from the same family of plastics, but the two forms have been slightly modified to achieve different properties for strength, fluidity, crack resistance, etc. Even when the plastic number is the same, the manufacturing processes to create those qualities make the two containers incompatible. Including these incompatible materials in recycle bin contaminates the rest of the batch causing it to be disposed in the landfill.
Plastic Lids and Caps: Plastic caps are NOT recyclable and are a significant contaminant, both on and off the bottle. Tossed in separate from the bottle, they are not pulled out by the processing screens and contaminate both the glass and the plastic materials.
Caps and Lids Left on the Containers: Left on the bottle, caps and lids of all kinds are frequently keeping liquid inside the container (see hit list item #6). Please remove and recycle separately metal caps and lids. Please THROW AWAY plastic lids!
Liquids: Liquids trapped in containers with the lids on creates a mess at the recycling center when these materials are baled. It’s difficult to compress the sealed containers and the liquid explodes all over the floor, creating a stickystew with a stench. Please help avoid this mess and pour your liquids out before tossing the container in the bin, and please do a quick rinse of all containers to remove soda pop and other sticky leftovers.
Ceramics and Non-Recyclable Glass: Glass that isn’t a bottle or jar should not go in
the bin! Ceramic, china plates or cups, dishes, mirrors, laboratory glassware, light bulbs, Pyrex, porcelain and window glass have a different melting point and chemical composition from container glass and ruin new glass containers. If our market sees just one contaminant like these on the top of a load of glass, the entire load will
likely be rejected.
Diapers and Other Bio-Hazardous Waste: Diapers and other sanitary items are not recyclable, and, of course, neither are the biohazards that come with them.
Shredded Paper: Shredded paper is too small to sort — the pieces literally fall through
the cracks of the sorting machines and end up all over the floor of the facility, or worse, in with the glass. Recyclers are encouraged to avoid shredding except when absolutely necessary, and to compost shredded materials when and if you have access to curbside composting.
Hazardous Waste: Take your hazardous materials to an appropriate CVWMA facility.
Scrap Metal: Scrap metal items of all sizes cannot go in the curbside bin because they can damage sorting equipment.
Frozen Food Boxes: Paperboard boxes that were designed for freezer foods have a coat
of a plastic polymer sprayed on them to protect against freezer burn. That same coating prevents the box from breaking up in the recycling process. These materials are not recyclable or compostable.

Make Your Holiday Season Greener

2009-12-21T11:46:00.003-05:00

Wrapping paper isn't accepted by most recycling facilities (including CVWMA) because it contaminates the recycling process. "But why?", you ask. It's because wrapping paper is not accepted by some recycled paper mills. There are a number of reasons for this. Wrapping paper is often dyed, laminated and/or contains non-paper additives such as gold and silver colored shapes, glitter, plastics, etc which cannot be recycled. Some wrapping paper is very thin and contains few good quality fibres for recycling. A lot of wrapping paper has sticky tape attached to it which makes it very difficult to recycle.

Instead of using wrapping paper this year, try something different. Create some great looks and reuse items found around your house.

Bows

Bags

Fabrics

Newspaper comics

Magazines

Decorative boxes

These scrap items can be used to make that gift even more special. Some of these items can also be reused year after year.

Make sure you recycle all of those cardboard boxes that the toys and other presents come in. The plastic bags that most toys and electronics come in can also be recycled at facilities that recycle plastic grocery bags.

And if you get a new computer, cell phone, digital camera, or other electronics, don't just throw out the old ones. Bring your old electronics to a company like Best Buy, who has a great e-cycling program.

Coming Soon! Mobile Recycling Station for the Cafeteria

2009-12-14T15:48:00.005-05:00

The Woolridge Elementary School Green Club is in the process of designing and constructing a mobile recycling station for the cafeteria. This will serve as a visual reminder to the students for them to recycle and will make recycling easier for them.

Conceptually, the recyling station will look similar to the one in this picture.

Our recycling station will be constructed in a very green fasion. Our recycling station will be constructed of reclaimed kitchen cabinets (three 18" cabinet modules) from the Richmond Habitat for Humanity. It will have two bins for mixed stream recycling (paper, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, etc) and a third bin for juice pouches.

ECO Supply is a provider of green building products here in Richmond. ECO Supply donated a 1-1/4" thick, 48” x 60” sheet of Paper Stone countertop. PaperStone is a composite made from recycled paper and proprietary, petroleum-free phenolic resins made from raw materials like cashew nut shell liquid. Click HERE to learn more about Paper Stone.

The Lowe's on Winterpock Road is also graciously donating supplies towards the construction of the recycling station. We hope to have the recycling station constructed and in use in January 2010. A big thank you to the teachers and parents who helped make this project a reality. Thanks also to everyone who participated in our fundraising events. The funds we raise go towards projects like this one. I will post construction pictures of pictures of the final product in a future post.

CVS Introduces "Green Bag Tag" Program

2009-12-07T15:57:00.002-05:00

CVS is joining the legions of other local businesses who offer their customers incentives to use reusable grocery bags. Click HERE for more specifics about their program.

"Cash for Appliances" is Official

2009-12-06T09:04:00.003-05:00

Article from Earth-911

Consumers in the market to upgrade their old junkers, starting with cars and now including refrigerators and the like, are in luck this year as federal stimulus dollars are being appropriated to encourage the purchase of energy efficient staples around our homes.

“Cash for Appliances” will utilize nearly $300 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund a rebate program that encourages consumers to purchase ENERGY STAR-certified appliances. Unlike its “Clunkers” predecessor, turning in an old model is not required – although we highly recommend recycling as an option for your washed up washers and dryers.

Some ENERGY STAR-certified models of appliances can save you more than half on your annual electricity costs to run them.

“Appliances consume a huge amount of our electricity, so there’s enormous potential to both save energy and save families money every month,” said Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu earlier this year. “These rebates will help families make the transition to more efficient appliances, making purchases that will directly stimulate the economy and create jobs.”

Availability for these energy-efficient appliances is abundant. In 2008 alone, 55 percent of major household appliances manufactured were ENERGY STAR-certified. Cash for Appliances would also potentially help boost the sagging sales for these products, as the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers reports shipments are down 15 percent this year. This was after a 10 percent drop in 2008.

For the greatest potential energy savings, the DOE recommends programs focus on appliances, heating and cooling equipment and water heaters. The rebates’ worth and time lines for receiving them will be determined by individual states and territories, so every program will be a bit different.

Company Spotlight - IHOPs

2009-12-03T16:48:00.004-05:00

Restaurants have a lot of impact on the environment. They use a lot of energy cooking food and they use a lot of disposable packaging. IHOPs is one restaurant who is working towards being more sustainable and has announced many green initiatives for 2010. These include the following:

Automatic plumbing fixtures to save water

Waterless urinals and/or very low flow fixtures

Optimizing energy by coodinating HVAC controls with the kitchen equipment

Solar reflective windows

Green cleaning products

IHOPs is also making efforts to green its packaging. They evaluate factors including the recycled content of their paper and plastic goods. IHOPs has removed 95% of all polystyrene packaging products used in their "to go" orders and have replaced it with 100% recyclable packaging. They also recycle the used cooking oil at most of their restaurants.

I want to give a special big thanks to the Chattanooga Plaza IHOPs right here in Midlothian. For the past several weeks, they have been saving their Florida Natural 1/2 gallon juice cartons for me to collect every Monday. I rinsed and cut the cartons so I can send them to MilkMuny. MilkMuny will turn this "garbage" into neat wallets and paid the Woolridge Elementary School Green Club 50 cents for every carton sent. To date, IHOPs has helped us raise $150! THANK YOU! Please contact me at gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com if you're interested in participating in the MilkMuny fundraiser.

Dumpster Diving - The Results!

2009-11-24T12:23:00.004-05:00

We had a great time at our first green club meeting of 2009 learning how to green our lunch. The kids learned how NOT to pack a lunch from Wendy Wasteful and how to pack a lunch from Go Green George. Then we talked about how 16 bags per day (almost 3,000 bags per year) of cafeteria trash are landfilled from our school alone! We talked about how to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We went outside and looked through a bag of cafeteria trash and found lots and lots of trays, some recyclables, chip bags, milk cartons and some untouched food. We talked about how we could reuse the black trays, how to get the kids to recycle better inside the lunchroom, what to do with those chip bags and if we could ever use washable trays again.

I still would like to see us try and use washable trays for one day (maybe during Earth Day). Don't you think the kids should experience a nostalgic moment like taking their tray to the window? One possibility to make this happen would be for parents volunteers to wash the trays that day.

What's One Can?

2009-11-21T19:27:00.004-05:00

November Go Green Classroom Winners

2009-11-19T12:47:00.003-05:00

The November Go Green Classroom Winners are:

Kindergarten - Mrs. Scates' Class

First Grade - Mrs. Thornton's Class

Second Grade - Mrs. Loevenstein's Class

Third Grade - Mrs. Cousin's Class

Fourth Grade - Mr. Steuber's Class

Fifth Grade - Mrs. Brandt's Class

These classes are to be commended for most of the students recycling classroom scrap paper, glue sticks, and lunchroom recyclables.

Here is a picture of the tropies awarded to each grade level.

Green Club Morning Meeting for K - 2

2009-11-16T06:21:00.004-05:00

Our first WES Green Club morning meeting for students K - 2 will be held on Thursday, November 19 at 8:30 in the cafeteria. Please arrive on time as the program will promptly start at 8:30. Students will go to their classrooms at the end of the program. Parents are welcome to stay as well. Please contact us at gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com if you'd like to help out.

Students will be learning about the waste generated in the cafeteria and the things we can do to reduce that amount. To help visualize how much trash students generate during lunch each day, we will "dumpster dive" and sort through some of the trash bags and see what we find. I think that what we will find will shock you. After sorting through the trash, we'll talk about the many things we can do to reduce the amount of trash we generate and increase the amount of waste that we recycle. We'll also talk about waste-free lunches and will make a fabric snack bag.

We'll summarize our results in a future post and talk about some of things we can do to reduce the amount of waste we generate.

Chesterfield Observer Article About WES Green Club

2009-11-13T06:25:00.004-05:00

The Chesterfield Observer has a nice article about local elementary schools' efforts to protect our environment. Many Chesterfield County schools are joining in the action. Here is what the article mentioned about Woolridge Elementary School. Click HERE to read the full article and learn about what's being done at other local elementary schools.

Woolridge Elementary
The “Go Green” initiative at Woolridge Elementary is beginning its third year. “Each classroom has recycling bins for paper and plastic, and we have a giant bin outside [the school] that is sponsored by the PTA,” said Raye McKissick, fourth-grade teacher and one of two teacher coordinators for the program.

Along with kindergarten teacher Debbie Pinkston and parents Kim Owens and Jay Yeman, McKissick keeps the various recycling efforts at Woolridge running smoothly. In addition to the paper and plastic recycling, they’ve overseen a catalog cancelling contest to see which class could get the most parents to give up their catalog subscriptions, and encouraged recycling at their fall festival pumpkin-lighting night. They’ve collected used-up glue sticks, which are sent to a recycling program sponsored by Walmart, and saved juice box pouches, which are sent to Terra Cycle, a recycler that pays the school for the pouches. They are selling reusable grocery bags that will benefit both the environment and the school.

Yeman developed a Web site, www.gogreenwoolridge.blogspot.com, that includes tips for recycling and other go-green ideas.

They also reward the kids for their recycling success. “We have a ‘Green Class of the Month,’ where we recognize the class that has the most [green] things going on, such as having green plants, turning off the lights, keeping their recycling bin full,” McKissick said. Art teacher Wendi Hobbie made a trophy that the winning class keeps for the month.

Recycling Plastic Bags

2009-11-12T06:32:00.003-05:00

Plastic bags are everywhere. Although often quoted as consuming oil resources, most plastic bags are actually made from natural gas. The bad news is most plastic bags are not recycled. Part of the reason is because many local recycling agencies do not accept plastic bags. They are lightweight, fly out of the backs of recycling trucks, and become litter. They also jam up the recycling machines and cause expensive repairs. The good news is that most plastic bags are recyclable. Stores such as Ukrops, Walmart, Food Lion, Kroger and Whole Foods all accept plastic bags for recycling. Although the United States Environmental Protection Agency stated in 2000 that only 1% of plastic bags were recycled, significant attention resulted in a 700% growth in the recycling industry as new capacity led to a 7% rate.

When most people think of plastic bags, the first thing they think of are plastic grocery bags. But did you know that many other types of plastic bags can be recycled along with your plastic grocery bags as well? All of the following can be recycled right along with your plastic grocery bags.

• newspaper bags
• dry cleaning bags
• bread bags
• produce bags
• toilet paper, napkin, and paper towel wraps
• furniture wrap
• electronic wrap
• plastic retail bags (hard plastic and string handles removed)
• grocery bag
• zip lock bags (remove hard components)
• plastic cereal box liners (if it tears like paper do not include)
• Tyvek(no glue, labels, other material)
• diaper wrap (packaging)
• plastic shipping envelopes (no bubble wrap/remove labels)
• case wrap (e.g., snacks, water bottles)
• All clean, dry bags labeled #2 or #4.

There are some types of plastic bags that should NOT be included. The following are considered contaminants and could jeopardize recycling programs:

NO food or cling wrap
NO prepackaged food bags including frozen food bags (e.g., prewashed salad bags)
NO film that has been painted or has excessive glue
NO other bags or films
NO bio-based or compostable plastic bags

So when going to the grocery store, it's preferred that you use reusable grocery bags. But a certain amount of plastic is unavoidable. So let's make sure to recycle all we can.

Wasting Food in Our Schools' Cafeterias

2009-11-10T19:50:00.007-05:00

If Animals Can Recycle, So Can We

2009-10-31T16:52:00.001-04:00

Recycling Smoke Detectors

2009-10-30T11:01:00.004-04:00

If you're like me, I replace the batteries in my smoke detectors every fall when we switch back to Daylight Standard Time. The National Fire Protection Association strongly recommends the replacement of home smoke alarms every 10 years. Smoke alarms become less reliable with time, primarily due to aging of their electronic components, making them susceptible to nuisance false alarms.

According to the U.S. EPA, both photoelectric and ionization smoke alarms contain plastic, electronic circuit boards and in some cases, batteries. Since most smoke detectors contain small amounts of radioactive materials, they are not readily accepted at most hazardous waste dropoffs. Federal regulations stipulate that all smoke detector packaging must contain the company’s mail back address so that they may be disposed of properly. Please call the company for instructions on mailing the detctors back properly.

Student Activity - Contacting Manufacturers

2009-10-28T16:43:00.000-04:00

Recycling and picking up litter is just one piece of the pie to make our planet a greener place to live. It also helps if we purchase products that are manufacturered in an environmentally friendly way. Some manufacturers have been doing this for a long time, others are starting to join them, and still others need a lot of help. One manufacturer that I recently contacted was Crayola.

Crayola makes a lot of great products that students frequently use, and they seem to do a good job making their products in an environmentally friendly way. There are some interesting and fun links on their website describing all of the things they do at the factory to protect the Earth. Click on the following to see how they make markers, crayons, and colored pencils as green as possible.

I always felt bad throwing out markers after they were used up. So I wrote an e-mail to Crayola's customer service department asking if it was possible to recycle the markers by creating a program similar to Elmer's Glue Glue Crew. The following is the response they sent back.

Dear Jay,

Thank you for your recent inquiry. Crayola is constantly striving, through our own marketing and research and development departments, to develop new products, concepts and improve existing ones to meet consumer needs. We recognize that consumers like you are our most valuable assets. By listening to your comments, we can provide the best quality products and services available. Your suggestion to start a program similar to Elmer’s Glue have been recorded with similar ones received from consumers.

Crayola is continually evaluating opportunities to make our products environmentally friendly. All Crayola Markers are made of five components, which include a water based color solution, a porous plastic nib, a plastic barrel, a cotton filament and a cap. The plastic components are made of polypropylene plastic. During production, we reuse plastic left from molding processes. Since Crayola Markers are tightly assembled for safety and quality purposes, it is generally not practical to attempt to recycle them.

We appreciate your contact. If additional assistance is needed, you may reach us by telephone at (800) 272-9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Time or e-mail by visiting Crayola.com. Best wishes for a colorful future!

Colorfully yours,

Jo Ellen Raub

Consumer Affairs Lead Representative

CRAYOLA

As you can see, it's not practical to recycle the markers because of the different materials they are made of. But writing Crayola was still a success because it reinforces the fact that more and more customers are asking for environmentally friendly products.

Students - I encourage you to follow my example. Here are some steps to help you out.

Think of a product that you use every day.
Learn how that product is made.
Think about how that product can be made in a more environmentally friendly way.
Write an e-mail to the manufacturer with your suggestion. Most manufacturers' websites have a customer service or "Contact Us" link. Make sure you get your parents' permission.
Hopefully, you'll get a response back. If so, e-mail the Woolridge Green Club at gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com, forward your original e-mail and the manufacturer's response, and I'll post it on the Woolridge Green Club website.

Fall Festival Recap

2009-10-27T11:12:00.002-04:00

The Woolridge Elementary School Green Club was active at this year's Fall Festival. Parent volunteers sold more of our popular reusable grocery bags. Thank you to those that purchased bags and helped support our club. Send us an e-mail or leave a comment on the blog letting us know how you're enjoying your bags.

The Fall Festival was also the first event that the Green Club has provided recycle bins. I was at the event from 6:00 - 7:00 and saw numerous people using the bins. It proves the point that people will recycle if the facilities are made available to them. I didn't notice much trash mixed in with recyclables either. Most of the trash was from the juice pouches being sold at the event. Thanks to everyone for recycling. Be on the lookout for the recycle bins at future Woolridge events such as the Spring Carnival.

A special "thank you" to the following parent and teacher volunteers who helped us out last night. My apologies if I left anyone out.

Kathie Smith
Sophie Lanniel
Tammy Newman
Lee Ann Tragle
Kim Owens
Don Huff
Deborah Pinkston
Raye McKissick

Fall Festival

2009-10-24T09:25:00.004-04:00

Woolridge Elementary School is holding its Fall Festival on Monday, October 26, 2009. There will be lots of Halloween costumes, activities, music, fun, and of course, pumpkins. It's a great time for parents and kids alike to have fun, see fellow classmates, and meet with teachers.

The WES Green Club is making its presence known at the Fall Festival this year. Volunteers will be selling more of the popular reusable grocery bags. Bags are being sold for $3.50 with proceeds benefiting the Green Club. The bags are blue with a custom white logo as seen on the right. The bag dimensions are 12.5" W x 14" H x 8.5" gusset and come with 20" handles and base stiffener. Other features include:

Hand washable.
Carry up to 22 pounds.
Recyclable.
Water repellent.
Great for other uses like going to the beach

Something else new this year at the Fall Festival are recycling bins. CVWMA has a great program where organizations can borrow recycling bins for their event. Be on the lookout for these bins and make sure to recycle your bottles and cans.

If you're interested in volunteering at future Green Club events, send us an e-mail at gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com or talk to one of our friendly volunteers selling reusable grocery bags.

Common Recycling Mistakes

2009-10-15T11:42:00.004-04:00

I have learned a lot about the do's and don'ts of recycling since becoming a WES Green Club volunteer. Here are some important things to remember when recycling at home, school, or work.

Check with your local recycler: Different recycling companies accept different materials for recycling. Just because something is "recyclable" doesn't mean that it can be put in the recycling bin. Including items not accepted by CVWMA creates additional work for the sorters and may lead to contamination of the materials they do recycle. Click HERE to see what CVWMA does and does not accept for recycling.

Don't put your recyclables in garbage bags or plastic bags: Sorting your recyclables and placing them into plastic bags is not necessary. The facility is equipped to do all the sorting. The plastic bags frequently jam up the machines at the recycling facility which are expensive to repair.

Don't put plastic grocery bags in your recycle bin: Plastic bags are recyclable but are not accepted by CVWMA. As previously mentioned, they jam up the machines at the recycling facility. The bags are also lightweight and can easily fly out of the recycling trucks and become litter. Save your plastic grocery bags and return them to stores like Ukrops and Walmart for recycling. Better yet, purchase some WES Green Club reusable grocery bags.

Not all #1 and #2 plastics are created equal: CVWMA accepts narrow-necked plastic bottles labeled with a number 1 or number 2 ONLY. This includes many soda and water bottles, milk and juice jugs, and household cleaner bottles. Plastics with other numbers or 1 and 2 plastics that are not bottles (like margarine tubs and other food containers) are not recyclable in this program. They are from the same family of plastics, but the two forms have been slightly modified to achieve different properties for strength, fluidity, crack resistance, etc. Even when the plastic number is the same, the manufacturing processes to create those qualities make the two containers incompatible. Including these incompatible materials in recycle bin contaminates the rest of the batch causing it to be disposed in the landfill.

Don't leave the tops on your bottles: Plastic bottles are typically made of #1 plastic and the tops are made from #5 plastic. Leaving the caps on the bottles contaminates the rest of the plastic. Too much contamination makes it impossible to sell the recycled plastic to bottle manufacturers. The recycling company has no choice but to throw the contaminated plastic into the landfill. If you want to recycle your #5 bottle tops, you can send them to your local Aveda salon for recycling.

Don't include juice or milk cartons: CVWMA use to accept these cartons for recycling. They no longer accept the cartons any more because there isn't a local market for recycled plastic coated paper. The WES Green Club participates in a carton recycling program with MilkMuny. Contact us at gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com if you're interested in participating.

UPDATE (12/17/09) - For the longest time, I have been including frozen food dinner boxes (like Lean Cuisine) in my recycling bin. I recently contacted CVWMA and they informed me that these bins should not be included in the recycling bin because they are waxed coated.

Making Sustainability Fun

2009-10-14T17:11:00.002-04:00

These are some really cool videos showing how people are more likely to do something if it is fun. How can we make going green more "fun" at Woolridge?

Hey You! Returning Readers. Read This!

2009-10-08T12:48:00.006-04:00

The Woolridge Elementary School Green Club blog recently celebrated its first blog-iversary. Well over 1,000 visitors have checked out our humble website looking for information on how to make our world greener. The website allows me to track really cool information like where individual readers are from, the search words and links that readers used to visit this site, and the time spent visiting this site. It turns out that readers visit from all over the country and all over the world to see what we have to say. I see a lot of interest in people wanting to learn more about recycling, reusable grocery bags, greening our school cafeterias, and making our schools more environmentally friendly. In fact, I have noticed a number of "repeat customers". If that's you, THANKS!

One reason I started this blog is to share information, tips, and activities for those of us associated with Woolridge as well as for everyone else out there. But another reason, and I feel a more important reason, is to start a dialog amongst everybody. A lot of people are visiting this website looking for ideas (and that's great), but we can accomplish a LOT more if we communicate with each other. These posts aren't intended to be monologues. They're intended to be dialogues. So please leave comments if you find a post to be interesting or if you want to learn more information.

There are a bunch of ways readers can interact on this blog. Readers can post comments on individual posts. Or you can leave comments/questions in our Green Gab chat box on the left sidebar. If you're not tech-savy, click on the FAQ link at the top of the blog and learn how. Last but not least, you can e-mail me at gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com. I'm more than happy to share information and listen to your ideas and recommendations.

It's great that so many people are interested in protecting our environment and are taking action. Let's join hands, share information, work together, and let's make a REAL difference.

Reusable Grocery Bag Tips

2009-09-29T11:28:00.008-04:00

Thanks again to all of you who purchased a reusable grocery bag from the Woolridge Green Club. So far, we've sold over 100 bags! We still have some bags in stock, so please contact your teacher if you are interested in purchasing additional bags. The bags are $3.50 and the proceeds benefit the Woolridge Green Club.

A number of people have stated that they frequently forget to bring their reusable grocery bags into the store with them. Here are some tips to help you remember.

Keep your bags in your car. Don't store them in the trunk because you'll forget that they're there. Storing them in the back seat pocket is a better option because you'll be more likely to see them. Keeping a bag slid in between the passenger seat and the center console is another option.

Most of us write a list of what we need before going to the grocery store. Write "REMEMBER BAGS" at the top of your grocery list each week. Use a pad of paper like in the picture and write this down on every page so you won't forget.

Hang a bag on the door knob to your garage or someplace near by. It will serve as a constant visual reminder to bring your bags with you. If you don't want to hang a grocery bag, create a door tag (similar to a Do Not Disturb Tag) and hang that on the door knob.

Hang a bag in your pantry. Most people check out their pantry when writing up their grocery list.

Enlist your children's help in helping you remember to bring your bags.

Many local stores have programs to encourage you to use reusable grocery bags. Stores like Ukrops and Target offer a 5 cent credit for each reusable bag you use in the store.

Volunteer Sign Up Sheet: Juice Pouch Brigade Cleanup Teams

2009-09-17T12:22:00.009-04:00

Woolridge Elementary School participates in TerraCycle's Juice Pouch Brigade Program. The Green Club earns 2 cents for every juice pouch the school ships to TerraCycle (shipping costs are covered by TerraCycle). TerraCycle turns these juice pouches into backpacks and other neat school supplies. To date, we have recycled close to 1,000 juice pouches.

In order to make this program successful, volunteers are needed to rinse out the juice pouches prior to shipment. If you are interested in volunteering, please e-mail Jay Yeman at gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com. Please include your name and the date you wish to volunteer.

Calling all students!

2009-09-10T13:31:00.005-04:00

Don't like all the litter you see on the side of the road?

Want to draw attention to the plight of endangered animals?

Want to share your own green tips?

This is the opportunity to let the whole world know!

The Woolridge Green Club is happy to announce a new activity that's open to students of all ages. The Woolridge Green Club is actively looking for K-5 students interested in contributing content to our website. Students can write articles about environmental issues that are important to them. They can also send in drawings or photos for publication on our website. Here is a sample post from a student at P.B. Smith Elementary School in Warrenton, VA.

Students can e-mail their contributions directly to gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com or deliver hard copies to their teacher at school. Only student's first names will be published to protect their identity. If you are interested, please see Mrs. Pinkston or Mrs. McKissick for more information.

New Fundraising Opportunity - MilkMuny

2009-09-02T19:10:00.010-04:00

More than 510,000 tons of milk and juice cartons are generated every year in the United States, but sadly, less than .05% ever get recycled according to an EPA report of Municipal Solid Waste. Paper cartons ARE recyclable, however, “because of the wax lining, are not universally recycled. Each locality is different, depending on their recycling process capability”, says the National Recycling Coalition.

MilkMuny is an upstart company similar to TerraCycle in that they take a product (in this case milk and juice cartons) that is normally thrown into the garbage and make them into a useful and unique product.

MilkMuny will pay 50 cents to the Woolridge Elementary School Green Club for every carton that we send them. They even pay for the shipping costs! Details will be forthcoming about which cartons we are collecting. So in the meantime, save up those milk and juice cartons, and check out this cool video about MilkMuny.

WES Reusable Grocery Bags

2009-08-20T11:57:00.021-04:00

The Woolridge Elementary School Green club is offering custom reusable grocery bags for sale at numerous school events during the 2009 - 2010 school year. We hope to have them available at the Back to School nights. It is our intent to sell them at the Pumpkin Lighting and Spring Carnival as well.

The bags are made from non-woven polypropylene and are being sold for the low cost $3.50 each. Proceeds will benefit the Woolridge Elementary School Green Club. The bags are blue with a custom white logo as seen on the right. The bag dimensions are 12.5" W x 14" H x 8.5" gusset and come with 20" handles and base stiffener.

Other features include:

Hand washable.
Carry up to 22 pounds.
Recyclable.
Water repellent.
Great for other uses like going to the beach

So why should you buy reusable grocery bags? Besides supporting the WES Green club, reusable grocery bags are great for the environment. Click HERE to learn more about the dangers of plastic bags. It takes about eleven uses for a bag to have a positive environmental impact. Every use after that means you are helping the planet by saving 3-4 plastic bags.

If you buy one of our bags, THANK YOU! Please come back to our blog and leave a comment letting us know how you like the bag. Click on the FAQ link at the top of the page if you need help leaving a comment on the blog.

Recycle Your Old Pots and Pans

2009-07-29T12:59:00.001-04:00

From Earth 911:

Cookware manufacturer Calphalon is offering a mail-in program called Calphalon ReNew, which allows consumers to recycle obsolete pots and pans of any brand when they purchase new Calphalon products.

The Calphalon Unison cookware will come complete with a shipping box, and pre-paid shipping labels are available to print online. Once old cookware is packaged, it can be dropped at a FedEx location for free recycling. Calphalon will also mail back two, 100 percent recycled cotton reusable shopping bags to participating recyclers.

2008-2009 School Year in Review

2009-07-01T08:53:00.002-04:00

During the 2008/2009 school year, Woolridge Elementary School committed to “Go Green Woolridge”. The Environmental Leadership of teachers, Ms. Pinkston, Ms. Fisher and Ms. McKissick along with active parents planned a variety of activities.

Due to the overwhelming interest in the Environmental Club last year, this year each teacher picked a few class representatives to attend the environmental meetings throughout the year. At these meetings, the representatives collected materials and information to take back to the classroom. Each classroom also had a Parent Environmental Coordinator. We also had several activities that the entire school participated. The following is a summary of our activities.

Meetings
The class representatives attended each meeting and then took the information back to the classroom so all of the students could learn about the environment.

Students learned how fresh plants improve the quality of air in the classroom. Parent representatives provided the plant for the class and students were responsible for taking care of it throughout the year.
A representative from the Central Virginia Waste Management Association came to a meeting to talk to the students about curbside recycling. This was a kick off to get the entire school to participate in a school-wide curbside recycling pledge drive sponsored by CVWMA. We had over 250 families pledge to recycle at home! Every student that participated in the pledge drive had a leaf with their name on it put on a tree in the cafeteria.
Students met to discuss how the classrooms could help the environment during Earth Day week and the students made a “lights out” craft.

Recycle Drives
WES pays for a recycling contract to recycle paper, cardboard, and plastics. This contract is paid for with PTA funds. Each classroom has a recycle bin that is emptied regularly into the large outdoor recycle bin by either the parent representative or the students. A recycling program for the school's cafeteria was also started.

We also recycle batteries (over 110 pounds recycled) and printer cartridges. We also recycled hundreds of juice bags through Terracycle’s recycling program and 2,000 glue sticks through Elmer’s glue stick recycling program. At the end of the year, we recycled 2 huge boxes of crayons to use in the Kindergarten classes and to give to our sister school, Beulah Elementary.

Earth Day
Earth Day (April 21) was a huge success with over 300 students and teachers wearing a Go Green Woolridge t-shirt or green on Earth Day. The classrooms participated in an Earth Day poster contest. The K-2 students talked daily regarding earth-friendly activities that they were engaging in at home. The 3rd to 5th grade students made brief morning announcements regarding environmental topics that included a green fact of the day. All the students had the opportunity to watch Dr. Suess' The Lorax movie.

Another great event, though not initiated by the Go Green Team, was the 2009 Summer Safety Day on June 8, 2009. This was a way to get students to be more physically active and staying with the CCPS safe schools initiative. All students were encouraged to walk or ride their bike to school that day and crossing guards were from the Chesterfield Police Department. During the day, the students were instructed on various topics such as bicycle safety, pedestrian safety, swimming, and sun safety.

Finally, the entire Go Green year was documented and shared with parents, teachers and students on the new Woolridge Go Green blog.

Trash Teams

2009-06-30T16:18:00.004-04:00

The following post was written by Katie M. who is a student at P.B. Smith Elementary School in Warrenton, VA. It serves as an example of the types of posts the Woolridge Elementary School Green Club is interested in receiving from its students. If you're a Woolridge Elementary School student and wish to contribute your own article, e-mail it to gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com. Please include your first name and last initial as well as your teacher's name and grade level. Make sure you get your parents' permission too!

As people drive along our nation's highways, they often throw trash out their car windows. The people do not want to wait until they get to a trashcan, or they do not want to take the time to dispose of their in a proper fashion. The kindest deed I can imagine is to help create a solution to this HUGE problem. It affects a lot of things in the world. Like the world is one thing that people can destroy. Animals are another one because people throw trash and the animals do not know what it is so they eat it. But, while they are eating usually they get ran over by a car. It also affects plants and nature. It affects them by the trash because the food will rot and would go down into the ground. That would get to the roots and die. Remember, plants give us oxygen.

Since, plants give us oxygen, we need to save them or WE die. Which one would you choose? Right, we should save the plants. Something we could LIVE with. Our dogs and cats could be in jeopardy too as well as the plants. By all that trash on the ground its make our world look dirty and unsafe. This world needs to stay alive and well. But, how are we going to do that?

Yes, how are we going to do that? Well, some people like to clean up trash and they are called Trash Teams or the TT. Trash teams are very useful to the earth because they clean up trash. But, they should not do it alone. We should make up a National Clean-up day. Then, EVERYONE will be helping the earth.

Sharp Introduces New LED Lightbulbs

2009-06-22T13:50:00.002-04:00

Sharp's introducing 9 new models of LED lightbulbs to Japan in mid-July, but the most innovative of those is the one pictured below. What's that thing on the right? It's actually a remote control that allows you to tune the color of the DL-L60AV LED Lamp (Sharp calls it "Adjustable Color Function"), or of a series of those plugged into the same circuit. Why is that a good thing? More details on how it works and its performance below.

Users can select from seven different shades of white ranging from a pleasing warm white to a cooler daylight white to match the weather, the season, time of day, purpose, or other preferences. This model also features a built-in Dimmer Function to adjust brightness. Together, these features allow users to select the illumination they like best to complement a diverse range of interior settings by using a single remote control to change the color and brightness of the light.

They don't give us lumens for the L60AV model, but the DL-L601N LED Lamp delivers a brightness of 560 lumens, which is pretty high (Sharp claims it is "among the brightest in the industry"). The L60AV is probably not quite as efficient... Life for all the new Sharp LED lamps (including the tunable one) is 40,000 hours.

Woolridge Elementary School Recycling Program

2009-06-18T15:07:00.002-04:00

OBJECTIVES

Reduce the amount of solid waste leaving the school.
Recycle the maximum amount of solid waste leaving the school.
Actively engage the students in reducing and recycling efforts be incorporating this program into the academic curriculum.
Develop data to measure success of recycling program in subsequent years.

RESOURCES

Trash can(s) – 1 per classroom; teacher selects location in his/her classroom.
Recycle bin(s) – 1 per classroom; teacher selects location in his/her classroom .
Digital scale – 1 per grade level; teachers in each grade level to decide where the scale is to be stored in between weigh-ins.

PROCEDURE (SHEET 1)

On a designated recycling weigh-in day each week, selected students in each class will weigh their recycle bin.
a. Student selection will be done on a class-by-class basis.
b. Each bin should be weighed full and then empty to determine the actual weight of the recyclable items.
If the classroom recycle bin is not full each week, it is acceptable to weigh every other week instead.
Each grade level should fill out the “Recycling Weigh-In” sheet at the weigh-in.
Once the classroom recycle bin is weighed, it should be emptied into the grade level rolling recycling can. The school’s custodial staff will empty the large rolling recycling can into the outdoor recycling dumpster.
Turn in the completed Recycling Weigh-In sheet to the recycling coordinator each week. At the discretion of the teacher, it can be turned in at the end of each month with multiple entries.

PROCEDURE (SHEET 2)

Select one fill week in the months of September, January, and May.
During this one full week, weigh the trash coming out of each classroom at the end of every day.
Sum the weight of trash leaving the classrooms.
During and/or after each of the three “trash weigh-in” weeks, discuss what is being placed in the trash cans, why that trash is being generated, where the trash is going, and how the overall trash generation can be decreased in coming months.

ADDITIONAL CALCULATIONS
The following metrics will be tracked by the Recycling Coordinator and reported back to the school monthly.

Pounds of trash per person.
Pounds of recycled material per person.
Ratio of [trash/person]/[recycling/person]
a. Goal: Keep this number lower than 1.
Trend of [trash/person]
a. Goal: Decrease trash/person over the three trash weigh-ins.
Trend of total waste generation/person [trash + recycled material]/person].
a. Goal: Decrease total waste leaving school over the monitoring period.
b. Note: Total trash leaving school will be estimated for this calculation using data from the three trash weigh-in weeks.

After the first 4 months of data collection, other specific waste reduction goals (with associated metrics) may be set at the discretion of the school administration and Green Club.

ADDITIONAL RULES

This program will only include waste streams generated in regular classrooms and front office/administration spaces.
Specialty classrooms (art, music, PE) and the Cafeteria are not included in these calculations. It is encouraged to reduce, reuse, and recycle in these spaces, even though weigh-ins for these spaces will not be included in this “weigh-in” program.

Local Business Spotlight - Buz and Ned's

2009-06-08T20:07:00.002-04:00

Buz and Ned’s has a green twist – all of their to-go packaging is now eco-friendly! Their cups are made from plant-based plastic and are compostable right along with the to-go ware and to-go boxes.

Summer Safety Day - June 8, 2009

2009-06-03T06:26:00.003-04:00

The following announcement from Colleen Wood (P.E. Teacher) was recently sent home with students.

As a way to get students to be more physically active and staying with our CCPS safe schools initiative, Woolridge Elementary will be having a Summer Safety Day on Monday, June 8, 2009. We would like to encourage all studetns who are able to walk or ride their bike to school that day and would like to encourage parents to join them. We will have a crossing guard from the Chesterfield Police Department to help students cross Timber Bluff Parkway at the pathway crossing for both the morning and afternoon. Also, during the day, the students will be instructed on various topics such as bicycle safety, pedestrian safety, swimming, and sun safety.

To help us get a better idea of how many students will be participating in our "walk or ride your bike to school day" on June 8, we ask that you fill out the form sent home with your child if you and/or your child will be participating.

Coca-Cola Introduces Plant-Based Plastic Bottle

2009-05-25T16:42:00.000-04:00

The Coca-Cola Company recently unveiled a new plastic bottled made partly from renewable plant-based resources. The “PlantBottle™” is fully recyclable and has a lower reliance on non-renewable resources than traditional petroleum-based plastic bottles.
The new bottle is made from a blend of petroleum-based materials and up to 30 percent plant-based materials. The process involves turning sugar cane and molasses, a by-product of sugar production, into a key component of PET plastic.

Coca-Cola will release its new plant-based bottle starting with its Dasani water line. “The “PlantBottle” is a significant development in sustainable packaging innovation,” says Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. “It builds on our legacy of environmental ingenuity and sets the course for us to realize our vision to eventually introduce bottles made with materials that are 100 percent recyclable and renewable.”

The new bottles will be piloted with Dasani later this year and with Vitaminwater in 2010. The bottles will be identified with on-label messages and in-store displays so consumers know they are purchasing the plant-based bottles.

A life-cycle analysis conducted by the Imperial College London indicates the “PlantBottle” consisting of 30 percent plant-based materials will reduce carbon emissions by up to 25 percent, in comparison with traditional PET plastic bottles.

As reported by The Coca-Cola Company, unlike some other plant-based plastics, the “PlantBottle” can be processed through existing manufacturing and recycling facilities without contaminating the tradition PET stream. The recycling of plant-based plastics has been an issue of concern among the plastic manufacturing and recycling industries as many believe improved research and design is needed to make bioplastic recycling feasible.

Algae Based Biofuels

2009-05-06T06:41:00.002-04:00

Over the past several years, corn based ethanol was considered a natural replacement for gasoline and other petroleum based fuels. This hasn't happened, mainly due to land use issues and the impacts on food prices. Corn based ethanol also leads to increased CO2 emissions resulting from converting woodlands into corn fields for ethanol manufacturing.

What has been frequently overlooked and is now far down the research path is the use of algae based biofuels. Sapphire Energy, one of the key research firms in algae based biofuels, is promising to be able to produce 1 Billion gallons of algae based biofuel annually by 2025. Even more impressive, this fuel is non-corrosive and can be stored and transported using the same infrastructure in place today for gasoline and airline fuels.

Click HERE to read more about the future of algae based biofuels.

The Beautiful Planet Earth

2009-05-03T17:11:00.000-04:00

CCPS Superintendent Issues Directive to Schools to Conserve Energy

2009-04-28T15:21:00.002-04:00

Marcus J. Newsome, Ed.D., Superintendent of the Chesterfield County School District, issued a memo to all of the schools outlining measures he expects the schools to take in order to conserve energy.

Turn off computers, monitors and lights at the end of the day.
Turn off audiovisual equipment in training and conference rooms, as well as classrooms, when not in use.
Set up computers to power down when not in use.
Unplug mobile phone chargers anytime that you are not using them.
Reduce the number of electrical devices at your desk or work station or in your classroom.
Clear space in front of air duct supply and return grills to ensure that heating and air conditioning equipment isn't obstructed.

Important Battery Recycling Update

2009-04-27T12:50:00.005-04:00

Back in October 2008, we started our very successful battery recycling program at Woolridge Elementary School. Many of you brought in your batteries so they could be recycled and not go into our landfills. The store we were bringing the batteries to no longer accepts alkaline batteries for recycling, so we now pay to ship these batteries so they can be properly recycled.

You can continue to bring in all of the other types of batteries noted below.

Household batteries, both rechargeable and non-rechargeable, such as:· D-cell, C-cell, AA, AAA, 9-volt, and button cells
Rechargeable battery packs from:· Cell phones, cameras, laptop computers, power tools, etc.
Handheld electronics:· Cell phones, iPods, PDAs, pagers, and so on.
Any other dry-cell batteries.

What types of batteries will NOT be accepted?

Lead acid batteries from:· Automobile, motorcycle, boats, and outdoor power equipment
Any other wet-cell batteries

So keep those batteries coming in. We recycled 30 pounds of batteries during the months of January and February! This brings our total to 110 pounds. Please remember to not bring batteries in if they are leaking or damaged. Leaking batteries can burn your skin. Also, please remove batteries from any electronics device before putting them in the recycling bin.

2009 Earth Day Posters

2009-04-25T14:45:00.001-04:00

Earth Week Activities (April 20 - 24, 2009)

2009-04-14T06:30:00.003-04:00

Earth Day is on Wednesday, April 22. To celebrate Earth Day and to show our school's commitment to protect our environment, we will have a number of activities going on all week long.

The K-2 students will be polled in their homerooms daily regarding earth-friendly activities that they are engaging in. Parents - talk with your kids about some of the earth-friendly things you do at home beforehand to help them remember.

Each day during Earth Week, some of the 3rd - 5th grade students will be making brief morning announcements regarding environmental topics that will include a green fact of the day.

The students will have an opportunity to watch Dr. Suess' The Lorax movie.

To round things out, the kids will have a poster contest. The poster contest will be judged by a panel of non-homeroom teachers, and the winners will be pictured on the PTA website and this website for all to enjoy.

On Wednesday, April 22, don't forget to wear your Woolridge Elementary School "Go Green" t-shirt. Over 300 students purchased a t-shirt! T-shirts will be handed out to the students prior to Wednesday. You can still participate if you didn't purchase a shirt and show your support by wearing a green shirt. Let's try and have every student wear green on Earth Day!

Here are some great things the Woolridge Green Club has accomplished so far this year:

We've started a battery recycling program. So far, we've recycled over 100 pounds of batteries that would otherwise be polluting our landfills.

Some other things we're recycling are Elmer's glue sticks, printer cartridges, and paper in the classroom.

We had a "Commit to Recycling Drive" and asked families to sign a pledge to commit to recycling at home. Over 250 families have committed this year.

Speaking of recycling, we just introduced a recyling program in our cafeteria. We now have recycling bins for cans, bottles, and juice pouches. There's a lot more potential for waste reduction in the cafeteria that we're continuing to work on.

CVWMA and Ukrop’s Partner for Recycling Events

2009-04-13T19:01:00.003-04:00

RICHMOND, VA – April 7, 2007 - The Central Virginia Waste Management Authority is partnering with Ukrop’s Super Markets and five local governments in central Virginia to promote electronics recycling in April, in observance of Earth Day. Electronic collection events will be held at four Ukrop’s locations and three other sites. Recyclers at the April events will be eligible to win one of six $100 Ukrop’s gift cards.

Saturday, April 14, 2007
Ukrop’s @ Westpark
9645 W. Broad St
8 am to 2 pm

Saturday, April 14, 2007
Ukrop’s @ Colonial Square
3107 Boulevard (Colonial Heights)
8 am to 2 pm

Saturday, April 21, 2007
Chesterfield Towne Center
11500 Midlothian Tpke
9 am to 2 pm
Sponsored by Chesterfield County

Saturday, April 21, 2007
South Richmond/Manchester area
Hull St and 4th St
10 am to 2 pm
Sponsored by Richmond Clean City Commission

Saturday, April 28, 2007
Ukrop’s @ S. Laburnum
4346 S Laburnum Ave
8 am to 2 pm

Saturday, April 28, 2007
Ukrop’s @ Virginia Center Marketplace
10150 Brook Road
8 am to 2 pm
Sponsored by Henrico and Hanover Counties

Saturday, May 5, 2007
Prince George Courthouse
9 am to 12 pm
Sponsored by Prince George County

A variety of electronic devices, including televisions, computers, home audio and theater equipment and telephones are accepted. Most items can be recycled for free, but a small fee of $5 is charged to recycle computer monitors and televisions ($10 for wood console TVs). These items require special handling due to the leaded glass and mercury they contain.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

2009-04-10T10:14:00.003-04:00

It is roughly the size of Texas, containing approximately 3.5 million tons of trash. Shoes, toys, bags, pacifiers, wrappers, toothbrushes, and bottles too numerous to count are only part of what can be found in this accidental dump floating midway between Hawaii and San Francisco. It is estimated that 80% of the garbage comes from land-based sources, and 20% from ships at sea. Ocean currents carry debris from the east coast of Asia to the center of the gyre in about five years, and debris from the west coast of North America in a year or less

As the plastic garbage degrades into smaller and smaller pieces and disintegrates, the plastic ultimately becomes small enough to be ingested by aquatic organisms which reside near the ocean's surface. Plastic waste then enters the food chain and may eventually be consumed by humans.

So please recycle, reduce the amount of plastics you use, and make sure you dispose of your trash properly.

Recycling Video

2009-04-07T10:00:00.002-04:00

Did you ever wonder what happens to your recyclables after they get picked up from the end of your driveway? Click on this video to find out.

Thanks to the Robious ES Green Club for the link.

Looking for Volunteers

2009-04-05T09:14:00.014-04:00

The Woolridge Elementary School Green Club is looking for volunteers. We have lots of activities and big plans in mind to help make our school and community as green as it can be. Volunteers can serve in one many roles.

Classroom Recycling Coordinator.
Monitor students during club activities.
Help organize events.
Provide ideas and expertise.
Lead by example.

Volunteers can be involved as little or as much as they feel comfortable. If you're interested in lending a hand, contact us at gogreenwoolridge@gmail.com. Thank you for helping make Woolridge Elementary School and our community more green.

We are currently looking to fill the following positions (LAST UPDATED 9/22/09):

Juice Pouch Brigade Team Leader - Schedule and coordinate team members and ship juice pouches to TerraCycle.
Juice Pouch Brigade Team Members - Work with student volunteers rinse juice pouches on a weekly basis. Click HERE to view sign up sheet.
MilkMuny Team Leader - Collecting cartons from each classroom on a monthly basis and ship them to MilkMuny.
Recycle-palooza Team Members - Collect recycled items once a week for the duration of the event (4 weeks). This event is yet to be scheduled. Likely Spring 2010.
Battery Recycling Team Leader - Check status of battery recycling bin in front office and ship container to battery recycling company when container is full.
Printer Cartridge Recycling Team Leader - Check status of printer cartridge recycling bin in front office and ship container to recycling company when full.
Glue Crew Team Leader - Coordinate with Classroom Recycling Team Members and transport glue sticks to Walmart for recycling at the end of the school year. (Kim Owens)
Bulletin Board Team Leader - Maintain and update bulletin board content in Cafeteria.
Bulletin Board Team Member - Assist Bulletin Board Team Leader.

The following positions are currently filled:

Classroom Recycling Team Members - Check with the teacher to see if they have a recycling box and a glue stick recycling box. Serve as a point of contact between the classroom and the Green Club. You and the teacher may be asked to help "get the word out" to promote Green Club projects and activities.
Glue Crew Team Leader - Coordinate with Classroom Recycling Team Members and transport glue sticks to Walmart for recycling at the end of the school year. (Kim Owens)

Tesla Unvails First Mass-Produced, Highway Capable Electric Car

2009-04-02T06:47:00.003-04:00

March 26, 2009

HAWTHORNE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE) —Tesla Motors is now taking orders for the Model S, an all electric family sedan that carries seven people and travels 300 miles per charge.

The Model S, which carries its charger onboard, can be recharged from any 120V, 240V or 480V outlet, with the latter taking only 45 minutes. By recharging their car while they stop for a meal, drivers can go from LA to New York in approximately the same time as a gasoline car. Moreover, the floor-mounted battery pack is designed to be changed out in less time than it takes to fill a gas tank, allowing for the possibility of battery-pack swap stations.

The floor-mounted powertrain also results in unparalleled cargo room and versatility, as the volume under the front hood becomes a second trunk. Combining that with a four-bar linkage hatchback rear trunk and flat folding rear seats, the Model S can accommodate a 50-inch television, mountain bike *and* surfboard simultaneously. This packaging efficiency gives the Model S more trunk space than any other sedan on the market and more than most SUVs.

“Model S doesn’t compromise on performance, efficiency or utility -- it’s truly the only car you need,” said Tesla CEO, Chairman and Product Architect Elon Musk. “Tesla is relentlessly driving down the cost of electric vehicle technology, and this is just the first of many mainstream cars we’re developing.”

Tesla expects to start Model S production in late 2011. The company believes it is close to receiving $350 million in federal loans to build the Model S assembly plant in California from the Dept of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program.

Idea Box

2009-03-29T08:35:00.069-04:00

Last Updated: March 25, 2010

This post is a list of ideas for activities currently being considered by the WES Green Club. Check out these ideas and leave a comment to let us know what you think. Please share any ideas for activities that you might have as well. New posts are noted in GREEN.

Recycling

Recycle #5 plastic bottle caps.
Recycle sneakers.
Recycle Crocs.
Recycle jeans.
Recycle clothing. April 2010
Recycle Polar Fleece.
Recycle tennis balls
Recycle crayons.
Recycle juice cartons. Read about our experience.
Recycle thumb drives.
Recycle cell phones.
Recycle small electronics devices (PDAs, Blackberries, digital cameras, MP3 Players)
Recycle household keys at local scrap metal shop.
Purchase recycling stations to be used at school events (Spring Carnival, class picnics, etc).
Recycling stations loaned by CVWMA for events. Read about our experience.
Recycle Scotch tape dispensers.

Fundraisers

Reusable grocery bags. Read about our experience.
T-shirts. Read about our experience.
Recycled clothing drive.
Home improvement kits (CFLs, low-flow conversion kits, etc)
Basket of "green goods" (CFLs, recycled products, etc) for silent auction.
Solicit donations from companies that produce green products.
Partner with local businesses to reduce production costs.
Sell items through Cafe Press.
Apply for grants. (Stonyfield Yogurt - Profits for the Planet)

Morning Meetings
Meet in October, November, February, April/May. Meeting are open to all students. Seminar format works best for crowd control. Parents can stay, but siblings are not allowed. This needs to be explained when the meeting is announced. K-2 would meet and 3-5 would meet. Here are some possible activites:

Talk about blog. Student contributions. Show how to leave comments. (3-5)
Friends of Chesterfield Riverfront speaker. (K-5)
CCPS Energy Manager speaker - Joe Lenzi. (K-5)
Create a green tree where each child writes something they do to protect the earth on a leaf.
Create folders from cereal boxes.

Student Activities

Students can contribute articles to the blog. Students can participate in open discussion by leaving comments. Get feed back on activities they're interested in.
Students can contribute drawings to be posted on the blog.
Contest to create Woolridge Green Club mascot.
Have students prepare reports, give presentations, write letters to school board and local government.
Create "news videos" about green topics/events at school and post videos on web site.
Make presentation to school board about going green.
Plant trees on Arbor Day. Join Arbor Day Foundation and get 10 free trees.
Ride bus/ride bike/walk to school day. Encourage parents to not drive their kids to school.
DIY paper recycling.
Contest for "Green Classroom of the Month". Read about our experience.
Students carry the trash they generate with them in a plastic bag. The trash is analyzed at the end of the day to identify things that could have been recycled. It also helps the students realize how much trash a person generates each day.
Storm Water marking - We would get a list of storm drains that need marking in our neighborhoods (ie, Woodlake, Foxes). Kids would go out and put on the stickers. Parents would need to be in attendance too.
Have a photo contest of landscapes or scenic sites.
Check out the air in your school. Spread a thin layer of vaseline on several pieces of cardboard or white posterboard. Then place the cardboard in various locations of your school (near the front door, the cafeteria or loading dock, out in the playground, etc.). Leave them for a week. Then collect them and bring them back to your classroom. See what they collected and compare the different locations by looking at the particles under a microscope or through a magnifying glass.
Student volunteers from each classroom transport recycle bins to cafeteria and deposit contents into larger bin for proper disposal by custodian.
Parent and student volunteers assist in cleaning juice pouches for TerraCycle on "Friday Recycling".
Adopt a Spot trash pick up day.

Cafeteria

Waste-free Wednesdays - Encourage students to bring their lunch to school with reusable/recyclable packaging. Students who participate get their picture taken and posted on the blog.
Build a mobile recycling station.
Collect unused food and donate to local food pantry.
Collect compost.
Have lunch monitors make announcements reminding kids to properly dispose of recyclables.
Recycle #5 plastic bottle caps.
Use cafeteria bulletin board as a communication tool.
Look into alternatives to using styrofoam trays.

Waste Reduction

Waste-free Wednesdays - Encourage students to bring their lunch to school with reusable/recyclable packaging. Students who participate get their picture taken and posted on the blog.
Place "These Come From Trees" stickers on paper towel dispensers in bathrooms.

Reuse

Collect gently used office supplies (pens, pencils, crayons, etc) to be donate to our sister school - Beulah Elementary School.
Collect hair for oil spill mats.
Recycled book drive.
Collect wire hangers and return them to dry cleaners.
Donate unused pet toys to Richmond SPCA.
Donate eye glasses.

Wildlife Conservation

Raise trout eggs in classroom and release to the wild.
Participate in Animal Appreciation Week at Maymont.
Adopt an endangered animal.
Build bird houses and bat houses.

Paper

Use FSC certified paper.
Purchase paper with recycled content.
Make 2-sided printing the default setting for printers and copiers.
Encourage e-mail/internet for announcements in lieu of paper notes.

Lighting/Computers/Electronics

Stickers for light switch covers reminding to turn the lights off.
Set computers to sleep mode.
Switch all incandescents to CFLs.

Energy Audit

Institute this program as part of the gifted program.
Meet to develop a "plan". Learn about the source of energy (probably electric, not gas). Get energy bills for the school.
Go on a classroom audit. Look at temperature settings, how lights are used, types of light bulbs, how computers are used.
Interview staff to determine lighting habits.
Interview cafeteria workers about appliances and how hot water is used.
Meet again to discuss results and ideas on how to improve. Many of these audit checklists will tell the kids what to look for AND then tell them suggestions how to fix it.
Prepare a list of recommendations and present to staff and higher ups.
Determine how school maintenance budget works.

Other

Encourage parents to volunteer with Green Club by providing sign up sheets at orientation.
Include green tips and Green Club news in PTA newsletter.
Encourage students riding bus to school in lieu of driving.
Institute "no-idling" policy for cars and buses.
Promote green chemicals for janitor and kitchen.
Green classroom of the month. Purchase trophy. Award trophy every month.
Partner with other schools for various activities and meetings.
Place posters in hallways advertising the green club.
Participate in an awards program such as Virginia Naturally.
Publicize green club activities/news in local news media.

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-03-28T14:26:00.014-04:00

Leaving Comments

Q. What are Comments?

A. Comments provides visitors with the ability to respond to a specific blog post.

Q. How do I leave a comment?

A. In the upper-right corner of each post, you will see a "Comments" link with the number of comments to date. If you click on this link, the post will expand to display the comments that have been left to date. If you wish to leave your own comment, click on "Post a Comment". This will take you to the comment posting page. There will be a dialog box to type your comment as well as buttons with four identity options. Here are the most popular choices.

Google Account: Sign in with your Google username (your G-mail address) and your password. Your display name will appear, along with a link to your profile and your photo (if you have one).
Open ID: Sign in with your LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, or AIM username.
Name/URL: You can enter your name and a link to your website (if you have one), without having to have a Google account.
Anonymous: No identifying information is displayed. The comment is credited to "Anonymous" without a link.

After you type your comment and select your identity option, fill out the "Word Verification" box, and click the "Publish Your Comment" button.

Green Gab

Q. What's "Green Gab" all about?

A. Green Gab is a way to leave a quick message to the WES Green Club and its readers. You might want to leave a message here for everyone to read instead of leaving a comment on a specific post.

Q. How do I leave a message on "Green Gab"?

A. Leaving a message in the "Green Gab" box is really simple.

Click on the first box and type your name. Use your real name or a screen name.
Click on the second box and leave your e-mail address or website address. You can leave this box blank if you wish.
Click on the third box and type your message.
Click "Post".
You can also click on the "Help" button located beneath the "Post" button.

Labels

Q. What are Labels all about?

A. Each post has one or more labels attached to it. Labels are ways to group posts that talk about similar topics. For example, if you click on "Recycling" under the Labels heading, all of the posts that talk about recycling will come up. Labels are a good way to search for information about a specific topic. They are also a good way to see the variety of post topics.

Product Review: Preserve Toothbrush

2009-03-27T21:16:00.003-04:00

More and more companies are offering products with recycled content. One such product is the Preserve toothbrush. It is made from 100% recycled plastic from yogurt cups. The company's website allows consumers to download a postage-paid label to send the toothbrush back to the company. The plastic handle is "down-cycled" into plastic lumber for picnic tables and deck material. I was able to purchase this toothbrush at my local Target for a little more than $2.00. This was even less expensive than the name brand toothbrushes typically sold.

I recommend that you give the Preserve toothbrush a try. It's less expensive than name brand toothbrushes, cleans your teeth well, and keeps waste out of our landfills. Preserve products are also manufactured in the USA. Pick one up and try one today!

Open Forum: Recycling

2009-03-20T11:46:00.002-04:00

Classroom Recycling Program

How often are the recycling bins emptied?
What percentage of paper waste in the classroom is being recycled?
Is trash or other inappropriate material making its way into the recycling bins?
Would it be possible to have the students regularly measure and record how much paper is being recycled?
How can this program be improved and made more convenient? How can we increase participation?

Cafeteria Recycling Program

Is trash or other inappropriate materials making its way into the recycling bins?
Would it be possible to have the students regularly measure and record how much cafeteria waste is being recycled?
Does the cafeteria staff recycle cardboard and other recyclable materials?
Encourage parents to use reusable containers in lieu of plastic bags and bottles.
How can this program be improved and made more convenient? How can we increase participation.
How feasible would it be to start a composting program?

Battery Recycling Program

How can this program be improved and made more convenient? How can we increase participation?

Glue Stick Recycling Program

What percentage of glue sticks are being recycled?
How can this program be improved and made more convenient? How can we increase participation?

Other Recycling Programs

Does the school recycle cardboard boxes?
How does the school dispose of old books? Is there any potential for reusing or recycling them?
How does the school dispose of old computers/electronics?

Open Forum: Energy Audit

2009-03-20T06:28:00.006-04:00

One of the more ambitious activities the WES Green Club is hoping to perform is an energy audit of the school. But what is an "energy audit" and how does it work? The purpose of an energy audit is to evaluate the ways the school uses energy (lighting, computers, heating, cooling, etc) and determine how much energy is actually used. This information can then be used to come up with ideas on how to reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency.

We would like the student members of the Green Club to play an active role in the energy audit. With some adult supervision, the students can assist in surveying the school and record the number of light fixtures and computers in each room. Using some basic math, the students can estimate how much energy (and $$$) the school is consuming.

The group can then brain storm ideas for ways the school can reduce energy consumption. Students will use their math skills to calculate how much energy (and $$$) can be saved if the school implements any of these measures.

So that's the basic idea of what the Green Club wants to accomplish with the Energy Audit. The survey itself can likely be completed during a single day. Preparation and evaluation of the energy audit will occur on different days. We're looking for input from teachers, parents, and teacher alike to help us make this activity a success. Here are some items that we would like your input on:

When would be the best time to perform the energy audit survey? Could it be done on a weekend? For how long could the school be made available to us?

We will need volunteers to assist the students gather information. The students can be broken up into small groups and paired with an adult. Each group can be assigned a portion of the school. Please e-mail the Green Club and let us know if you are interested in volunteering.

The energy audit will be even more successful if we can interview school staff members to learn about energy usage habits at the school. It might be fun to have the students conduct these interviews.

The students can help prepare a report that summarizes the results of the energy audit, and the results will be posted on this blog. Perhaps the students can present their findings to the rest of the Green Club or even present their findings to the school board.

Feel free to leave comments and give input on these ideas by clicking on COMMENTS at the end of this post. The Green Club is really excited about performing an energy audit because of the learning experience it creates for the students and the potential it has for reducing energy consumption at Woolridge Elementary School.

Open Forum: Reduce Energy Consumption

2009-03-17T06:34:00.005-04:00

The purpose of this post is to be an open discussion of ideas to help reduce energy consumption at Woolridge Elementary School. I have posted some ideas and questions and would appreciate your feedback. Please click on "Comments" at the end of the post to participate.

Lighting

Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Does CCPS make CFLs available to replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs as they burn out? Would it be practical to replace the bulbs more proactively?
Replace older fluorescent bulbs with more efficient bulbs. It appears that many of the light bulbs throughout the school are T12. Replacing these bulbs with T8 bulbs with high efficiency ballast can provide energy savings over 40%. These light bulbs also give off less heat so the HVAC system doesn't have to work as hard. Click HERE to see more detailed information. Would CCPS be willing to make the small investment to upgrade the ballasts to allow use of the more efficient T8 light bulbs?
Provide light switch stickers to remind people to turn the lights off when leaving the room. Studies have shown that light switch stickers can reduce energy consumption and typically have a pay back period of only a few months. Would WES or CCPS be willing to purchase light switch stickers for the classrooms and other rooms?

Computers/Electronics

Adjust settings on computer to power off computer monitors and hard drives.

Woolridge Recycles in the Cafeteria

2009-03-07T10:34:00.003-05:00

The Woolridge Elementary School Green Club recently created a recycling station in the cafeteria. We need your cooperation to make this effort be successful. Please encourage your child to recycle their juice pouches (no juice boxes, please!), aluminum cans, and #1 and #2 plastic bottles by placing them in the appropriate recycle bin.

Parents - Also consider packing your child's lunch in a reusable container. Let's try and reduce the amount of waste that we generate in our cafeteria.

Feel free to click on the Comments link below and share your ideas for other ways we can reduce waste and make the Woolridge Elementary School cafeteria more green.

GO GREEN WOOLRIDGE – EARTH DAY SHIRTS

2009-02-18T06:31:00.019-05:00

In celebration of Earth Day 2009, we will be ordering Earth Day t-shirts personalized with Woolridge Elementary School. These shirts may be worn on Earth Day, April 22, 2009 because on that day we are encouraging the entire school to wear green to show our support for the environment! The shirts are lime green and are available in Child and Adult sizes. Adults may order these too! The price is $8 per shirt (child and adult). Orders are due Friday, March 13. The shirts will be sent home during the week of April 14.

<-- Woolridge Elementary School (will go here)

Children Sizes
Child Shirt Size "S" --> Size 6-8

Child Shirt Size"M" --> Size 10-12

Child Shirt Size "L" --> Size 14-16

Adult Sizes
Adult Shirt Size "S" --> Chest Width = 18"; Length = 28"

Adult Shirt Size "M" --> Chest Width - 20"; Length = 29"

Adult Shirt Size "L" --> Chest Width = 22"; Length = 30"

Adult Shirt Size "XL" --> Chest Width = 24"; Length = 31"

Adult Shirt Size "2X" --> Chest Width = 26"; Length = 31.5"-32"

Adult Shirt Size "3X" --> Chest Width = 28"; Length = 32"-33"

Adult Shirt Size "4X" --> Chest Width = 30"; Length = 33"-34"

*2X+ sizes are $3 extra.
A child L and adult small are the same size but the child shirt will be shorter in length.

Recycle! Recycle! Recycle! – Just a reminder that the students can bring in small batteries and printer cartridges from home to recycle in the front office. Woolridge students are also recycling paper and glue sticks that they generate in their classrooms and cans, bottles and juice bags from their lunches in the cafeteria. Please remind your children to place the recyclables from their lunch into the recycle containers in the cafeteria.

Check out the Woolridge Go Green blog for more information – gogreenwoolridge.blogspot.com. We have several activities planned for the week of Earth Day. We will keep you informed through the blog or flyers. Any questions? Email – Kim Owens at markandkim@owensclan.com

_____Cut Here and Turn Order Form into Your Child’s Teacher with a Check__________

Earth Day Shirts Order Form. You must prepay for the shirt(s).

Child’s Name____________ Teacher______________ # of Shirts________Shirt Size(s)______________
ORDER TOTAL ($): ___________

Make checks payable to “Woolridge Elementary School”. Shirts are $8 each. Add $3 a 2X, 3X or 4x shirt. Please return your order to your child’s teacher by Friday, March 13.

Open Forum: Reducing Paper Consumption

2009-02-02T19:20:00.006-05:00

Teachers - I'd appreciate your feedback regarding the ways we can reduce paper consumption at Woolridge. Simply click on "COMMENTS" at the end of this post to respond to this post and provide your feedback:

How well does your classroom recycle paper? How well does your school recycle paper? What ideas do you have that will encourage recycling in your school/classroom?

Do you make 2-sided prints/copies? Would the school be willing to make 2-sided printing the default setting on their printers/copiers?

Would it be possible to use e-mail or the Internet to reduce/eliminate paper notices sent home with students?

Is the paper used at Woolridge made from recycled paper? Does the paper meet the guidelines of the Forest Stewardship Council or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program?

What ways are the school being wasteful with its paper consumption?

Battery Recycling Update

2009-01-09T16:52:00.002-05:00

Great job Woolridge! We recycled 35 pounds of batteries during the months of November and December! Keep them coming in. Please remember to not bring batteries in if they are leaking or damaged. Leaking batteries can burn your skin. Also, please remove batteries from any electronics device before putting them in the recycling bin.

Recycle Your Cell Phone

2008-12-30T12:03:00.003-05:00

January is one of the busiest times for cell phone recycling, because so many are replaced or upgraded during the holidays. Since your trusty cell contains not-so-nice materials like arsenic, lead and zinc, keeping it out of a landfill is a must. Think about donating your old cell phone to help victims of domestic violence or other charitable organizations. Even if you think one phone is too small to do much environmental harm, its power comes in volume - over 1.1 billion phones were sold in 2007 alone.

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas

2008-11-28T19:29:00.003-05:00

Wrapping paper isn't accepted by most recycling facilities because the metalic wrapping papers can contaminate the recycling process. Instead of using wrapping paper this year, try something different. Create some great looks and reuse items found around your house.

Bows
Bags
Fabrics
Newspaper comics
Magazines
Decorative boxes

These scrap items can be used to make that gift even more special. Some of these items can also be reused year after year.

November Environmental Meeting

2008-11-28T12:28:00.005-05:00

During the November Environmental meeting, student representatives of Woolridge's environmental program learned about how important live plants were to the classroom. Each classroom received a live plant from the classroom's environmental parent representative. These plants will make the classrooms healthier and brighter for the kids. If your class did not receive a plant, just let us know - kim owens - markandkim@owensclan.com

Elmer Glue Sticks

2008-11-28T12:24:00.004-05:00

In cooperation with Elmer's, each Woolridge class has a glue stick recycling box. The glue sticks will be collected throughout the school year. Then in April 2009, they will be taken to a local Walmart for recycling. Go Green Woolridge!

Recycle Pledge Drive

2008-11-28T12:19:00.004-05:00

During our November 2008 recycle pledge drive with CVWMA, we had over 250 Woolridge families pledge to recycle at home! Each student that pledged to recycle has a leaf with their name on it on a tree in the cafeteria. Check out http://www.cvwma.com/ to see a picture of our tree and to see how you can recycle at home, for free!

October Battery Recycling Results

2008-11-11T19:42:00.004-05:00

Great job Woolridge! We recycled 45 pounds of batteries! That's over 750 batteries that will not go into the landfill and create pollution. Keep them coming in.

Please remember to not bring batteries in if they are leaking or damaged. Leaking batteries can burn your skin. Also, please remove batteries from any electronics device before putting them in the recycling bin.

The Seven Cycles of Recycled Paper

2008-10-30T06:44:00.002-04:00

Here is a great, user-friendly article from Earth911 about how paper is recycled.

Paper, it is said, can be recycled up to seven times. Taken with the fact that recycled paper is also cheaper and easier to convert to pulp than wood, it makes an ideal candidate for collection and reuse. But what exactly are these seven cycles, and what happens to paper after this point? In order to answer these questions, we need to examine the paper-making process more closely.

Learning Curve: Definitions & Grades

First, it’s important to know that “recycled” can mean many different things. For example, paper companies used to consider mill scraps from lumber cuttings recycled content. The key phrase to identify is post-consumer. This refers to content that comes from used paper products.
Second, you should know that when it comes to paper, grades count. There are five main grades of paper according to the EPA, but you’re most likely to find these four in your home or workplace.

• Newspaper: Not the same as magazines or catalogs. Only newspapers fall into this category
• Office paper: Generally high-grade white printer and copier paper, envelopes and letterhead.
• Corrugated containers: These include boxes of all kinds, from shipping to food and shoe boxes
• Mixed paper: This category is a catch-all for the other types of paper, such as phone books, magazines, junk-mail or colored papers

Like Favors Like

While lower grade paper, such as a cereal box, can be turned into another cereal box, it cannot be recycled into a shiny piece of office paper; however, if office paper is kept separate from low-grade papers, then it can be turned back into office paper. For this reason, sorted paper gives companies more versatility in what they can produce.

Once sorted, the paper is broken down in much the same way, regardless of type. Batches are soaked in a water and chemical bath in order to break them down into “pulp,” the small fibers that make paper. Next, the pulp undergoes several stages of cleaning in order to remove contaminants like glue, plastic, staples, and finally, ink. Once paper is re-bleached, if necessary, it is ready to be mixed with virgin fibers and made into paper once more. At this final stage, recycled pulp is no different from virgin pulp. So why only seven cycles?

And The Answer Is…

The answer boils down to size. Each time wood fibers are reprocessed (chopped, heated, pressed) they break down a bit. After about five to seven cycles, the pulp bits are so small that they simply slip through the filtering screens and end up in the wastewater. In this manner, the quality of recycled paper is not affected by pulp that is no longer useful.
Most products today, especially corrugated containers, contain recycled post-consumer content, but consumer demand, more than federal or industry standards, is what drives paper companies to increase recycled percentages. When it comes to paper (all kinds), purchasing or requesting recycled goods maintains a steady demand for this product.

A Trip to the Grocery Store

2008-10-22T06:30:00.005-04:00

Everyone goes to the grocery store. Who knew about all the things that many grocery stores do that help conserve and protect the environment? The stores do these things, not only because it helps protect the environment, it helps them save money as well. Here are some examples of things that many grocery stores do.

Many grocery stores have skylights in the roof. They let in sunlight to help light the inside of the store. There are sensors that turn the lights off when the skylights provide enough light inside the store. Turning the lights off when they're not needed helps save energy.

Some grocery stores have motion detectors inside the refrigerator and freezer display cases. They turn the display case lights on when someone is walking down the aisle. The lights turn back off when no one is in the aisle. Turning the lights on only when they're needed helps save energy.

The lightbulbs in these display cases are LED bulbs. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. This type of light bulb uses much less energy than regular light bulbs, and they last a lot longer. LED bulbs give off very little heat and are cool to the touch. Because the LED bulbs give off less heat than regular light bulbs, the refrigerators and freezers don't have to work as hard to keep your favorite ice cream frozen.

The next time you go on a trip to the grocery store, see if you notice any of these things. Pay close attention on your next trip and ask yourself the following questions:

What other ways do grocery stores help protect the environment?

What products do they sell that are better for the environment?

Why are these products better for the environment?

Click on the comments link at the bottom of this post and share your answers!

Street Lamps Powered By Discarded Batteries

2008-10-15T06:22:00.000-04:00

That battery you're throwing away may not have enough energy left to power your gadgetry, but it does have enough juice to light up a low-energy LED. That's the driving idea behind South Korean designer Sung Woo Park's conceptual Energy Seed, a stylish street lamp powered entirely by discarded batteries.

Drop a battery into one of the Energy Seed's disposal holes and it'll fall down into a tube. Several batteries can be stacked one on top of the other, daisy-chaining drained batteries into a long-lasting power supply for an LED lamp that will give pedestrians a bit of light on the sidewalk. It's a great way to re-appropriate trash that we'd otherwise consider useless.

President Signs into Law Financial Rescue Package with Long-Awaited Extensions of Vital Energy Tax Incentives

2008-10-12T09:51:00.003-04:00

President Bush signed into law a $700 billion financial rescue bill that also includes $17 billion in energy tax incentives, including extensions of several provisions that have already expired or were set to expire at year's end. Among other energy provisions, the new law contains several tax incentives that promise to advance greener, more energy-efficient buildings, including:

A 1-year extension of the tax credit for the production of energy from wind, and a two-year extension of the credit for energy production from other renewable sources, such as geothermal.
An 8-year extension of the tax credits for investment in commercial and residential solar projects, including the removal of the $2,000 cap on investments in residential solar electric installations, and the addition of small wind energy and geothermal heat pump projects as qualifying installations for tax credits.
A 5-year extension of the tax deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings;
A 1-year extension of the tax credit for the construction of new energy-efficient homes
A 1-year extension of the tax credit for qualified energy-efficiency upgrades to existing homes.
An extension through 2010 of the tax credit for the manufacture of energy-efficient appliances.
A 3-year extension of the authority for state and localities to issue tax-exempt bonds for green building and sustainable design projects.

For a summary of the tax provisions in the new law, click here.

Cork Flooring

2008-10-11T16:18:00.003-04:00

One great rapidly renewable material is cork. Cork comes from the bark of the cork tree. The bark grows back in about nine years, and trees can live for hundreds of years.

Cork flooring is acutually made from the waste of the cork wine stopper manufacturing process so cork flooring is a recycled product. All pigments, varnishes and adhesives used in producing cork tiles are water-based, solvent-free and have no VOCs.

Some great qualities of cork include the following.

Softness: The first thing most people notice about cork is how soft it feels underfoot. Soft enough that your back, hips and knees feel better after standing on your feet for long periods of time but yet it doesn't feel spongy. Cork's cellular structure is made up of millions of tiny, sealed air-like pockets which provides many of the benefits of cork. This provides the soft feel underfoot.

Resiliency: Heavy pressure does not break down or destroy the tiny air cells that are unique to cork, pressure only compresses the air within the cells. The cork begins to spring back when the pressure is removed. This resiliency allows the cork to give under pressure while still maintaining its beauty and finish. In your home this means that if you make a dent in a cork floor, over a short period of time the dent will disappear unlike hardwood flooring which maintains a permanent dent.

Resistance To Moisture And Liquid Penetration: While natural cork is not completely impervious to moisture penetration, its cellular structure gives it a high resistance to penetration by water. Cork tiles are coated with a premium water-based finish and are highly resistant to stains or water damage. So yes, you can install cork tiles in the kitchen or bathroom.

Thermal Insulation: The minutely divided air spaces within cork make it one of the most efficient non-conductors of heat/cold. The unique cell construction of cork provides this property. Additionally, cork maintains a warm temperature in your home. Therefore a cork floor will always feel warmer to the touch than stone, ceramic, vinyl or even hardwood floors. Test have proven this.

Acoustical Insulation And Impact Noise Resistance: Cork, with its 200 million air cells per cubic inch; of which 60% is air, essentially acts as an "air cushion", absorbing vibrations and direct impacts. This means cork is great for music rooms, recording studios, and entertainment rooms. You should consider cork for your floor, walls or ceiling if you have high ceilings and wide expanses of hard surfaces. Cork will help to muffle the sound or noise in these situations.

Anti-Allergenic: Bugs, mold, mites and even termites are repelled by cork due to a naturally occurring waxy substance in cork called Suberin. So if you've removed all your carpeting and installed hard but cold surfaces in your home due to allergies, now you can consider warm, soft cork. Suberin also prevents cork from rotting even when completely submerged under water for long periods of time.

Here are some photos of cork flooring:

Battery Recycling Program

2008-10-07T06:43:00.004-04:00

The Woolridge Elementary School Green Club is starting a battery recycling program. Bring in your used batteries and drop them off in the battery recycling bucket located in the Main Office. The used batteries will be taken to Batteries Plus where they will be recycled free of charge. Please do not send in batteries that are leaking or are otherwise damaged.

What are the benefits of recycling?

All hazardous materials are recycled properly.
The plastic and metal materials reclaimed are reused.
It saves landfill costs.
It saves natural resources.
It’s the right thing to do.

What types of batteries will be accepted?

Household batteries, both rechargeable ~~and non-rechargeable~~, such as:
· D-cell, C-cell, AA, AAA, 9-volt, and button cells
Rechargeable battery packs from:
· Cell phones, cameras, laptop computers, power tools, etc.
Handheld electronics:
· Cell phones, iPods, PDAs, pagers, and so on
Any other dry-cell batteries

What types of batteries will NOT be accepted?

Lead acid batteries from:
· Automobile, motorcycle, boats, and outdoor power equipment
Any other wet-cell batteries