Earth Day - 2010

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.

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Make Your Holiday Season Greener

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.

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Reusable Grocery Bag Tips

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.

1. 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.



2. 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.



3. 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.



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



5. 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.

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New Fundraising Opportunity - MilkMuny

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.

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WES Reusable Grocery Bags

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.

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Recycle Your Cell Phone

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.

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I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas

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.

Read More »»