Old school = reading, writing and ‘rithmatic. New school = repurpose, recycle and reuse. By implementing some of these ‘going green’ ideas, you can make a positive impact on the environment as well as leave more green in your pocket.
Purchase Green Products
- While plastic and vinyl lunch boxes are reusable, they contain toxic chemicals and additives that have an adverse effect on the environment once in a landfill. Choose a reusable fabric lunch sack instead. Gym bags, backpacks and totes can all be made with organic hemp canvas, cotton blends and recycled rubber.
- Use mechanical pencils and refillable pens in lieu of the disposable alternatives.
- Avoid buying bleached white paper and switch to recycled or tree-free paper. Tree-free papers are made from hemp, denim and kneaf fibers and use no chlorine or chemicals. You can save even more money by buying lined paper in bulk instead of the 100-count spiral bound tablets.
- Buy products with the ‘post consumer plastic’ logo. You will find paperclips, rulers, scissors and other school supplies with this eco-friendly label.
Shop at Thrift Shops and Yard Sales
- School supplies like scissors, rulers, calculators, maps, etc. can be purchased at yard sales. You get a price break and it keeps someone else’s discards out of the landfill.
- Thrift shops are great places to find gently worn clothing and shoes as part of the back to school wardrobe.
Scavenge Your Home For School Supplies
- Is there an extra pair of scissors in the junk drawer? What about that ruler in the home office that no one uses? How about that extra calculator in your purse you rarely need? By turning these extra items lying around the home into this year’s school supplies you will avoid over buying and wasting school supplies.
By using these eco-conscious tips in your back-to-school planning you will find it neither drains your wallet or the Earth’s resources. If you would like to read my going back to school survival tips for kids, please check out my Healthy Back to School post on Diets in Review.
photo by: Muffet
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DISCLAIMER ALERT: The ideas expressed in this post came out of my own head, were researched by my own eyes and were expressed by my own hands. They are not intended to serve as medical advice in any way, shape or form. And they do not reflect the views of Humana Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. I take full responsibility if you think this post is awesome or not awesome.
It’s the first really warm day of spring, today. I’m certain that, being a Friday, today’s balmy breezes will summon downtown workers outside like a siren’s song. This is the time of year that many people rediscover the outdoors, the fact that the sky doesn’t end 7.5 feet over their heads, and that the airlock door in front of their workplace actually leads to a space that’s pleasant.
In the tumble of employees heading out in the mid-afternoon, there are the inevitable business emergencies, last-minute reports, and obligatory meetings. We contend with them like grown-ups, but part of us rails against the idea that we’re “stuck” inside. Do we really need to be there? I’m not saying we shouldn’t take professional obligations seriously, but do you really need to do the work in a closed room? Why not go and enjoy the rest of the world?
The last time I saw groups of people influencing their organizational meetings like this was in college. Does anyone else remember this question, “Professor, can we have class outside?” Why not ask that same question in your current context? Likely, you’ll get the same kind of support we saw in school: other students wanted to be outside, and the professor (given the choice) often felt the same way. Generally, we had an endorsement to relocate, as long as the lecture didn’t require overhead slides. Hmmm. Need to work on the outdoor video conferencing problem.
We’ve managed to convince the members of our weekly staff meeting that the day is calling for exactly this kind of change. We’re taking a bike ride, conducting business at an “undisclosed location,” and rediscovering our community. As an aside, for the benefit of any senior leaders reading this post, we will return to the office for a full day of work.
I would encourage others to consider how easy it is just to get outside and do what you need to do. Whether you have Seasonal Affective Disorder or not, I leave to your clinician, but I know I get an attitude boost just from being in the great outdoors for a few minutes a day.
If, even after your best pitch to your manager, you’re still bound to the inside of the building, at least try to say close to a window. It might be a tease, but it makes finally getting out there that much better.
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DISCLAIMER ALERT: The ideas expressed in this post came out of my own head, were researched by my own eyes and were expressed by my own hands. They are not intended to serve as medical advice in any way, shape or form. And they do not reflect the views of Humana Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. I take full responsibility if you think this post is awesome or not awesome.
