Resolving to Be More Eco-Friendly in S. Kingstown

South Kingstown, RI — November 2008

Claire Hall, president of The "Did You Know?" Foundation, took the stage at each of South Kingstown's four elementary schools to inspire students to "make eco-friendly choices in their everyday lives." Addressing sustainable behavior in the context of S.K. schools new Community Learning Project, Claire animatedly illustrated why it matters, and iterated simple, concrete steps each student could take.

Claire first stresses the three R's of sustainability — reduce, reuse and recycle — as she walks students through choices they make with their families every single day. Asking students to imagine they’re on a trip to the supermarket, Claire calls a student up to help choose which potato chips to choose from the shelf. With help from schoolmates, the volunteer selects one large bag of loose chips over one large bag filled with many smaller bags. In order to minimize our effect on the environment, we have to make less trash—and that means reducing how much packaging we buy.

Another opportunity to reduce, Claire suggests, is when we brush our teeth. If you run the water during those recommended 2 minutes of brushing, did you know that you waste more than 4 gallons of water each time? And what about the water we waste as we wait for our shower to warm up? Why not capture it in a bucket to water our plants and flowers later!

Next comes the challenge of packing a waste-free lunch. Did you know that every year the average student throws away more than 90 pounds of trash from their lunches? (Just imagine 350 of one bigger student ending up in the school’s dumpster at the end of each year!) Claire goes one by one through a typical brown-bag lunch; what can we eliminate in the way of waste and trash? The brown-bag itself can go—use a reusable lunch box or bag instead. How about a reusable drink bottle rather than a juice box? Why not use reusable plastic containers instead of disposable plastic snack and sandwich bags? Bring real utensils (remembering to bring them home again!) instead of disposable plastic ones. And how about cutting up an unpopular old bed-sheet into reusable, washable napkins!

Finally, students examine different types of plastics to learn that those marked with “1” and “2” inside the triangle on the bottom can be recycled in Rhode Island. Other plastics, such as “5”, are good for reuse. Many are surprised to find out that we have to take caps off all bottles before putting them in the recycle bin. If left on, the bottles will end up in the landfill after all.

Claire closes by asking students to write down what steps they plan to take to reduce waste in their own lives.

What can YOU do to become more eco-friendly?

Here what some students at Matunuck Elementary School resolved in response:

• “What I will do differently to help the earth is to not recycle bottle caps. Use reusable containers for my lunch, and take a shower for 5 minutes instead of 15 minutes.
  



• “I am going to do a trash-free lunch. I am going to use a reusable cloth napkin. I am going to use a reusable bag and more. All I can to give back to what makes me live!
  
  
• “I learned that recycling is important. I will save some water somewhere at home or the shower because the things that I learned were cool at school. I liked that it was good!
  



• “I am going to recycle. And I will take the cap off of the water bottles. I will reduce, reuse, recycle. If it does not have a “1” or a “2”, reuse it. Now that [Claire] came and talked to us, I’m going to check the bottom of my water bottle and see if the number on the bottom is a “1” or a “2”.
  



• “I will try to recycle more of my water bottles, bring water in a water container, and tell my mom to turn off the water when she is brushing her teeth.
  



• “Do not leave the water running when you brush your teeth. Number 1 and 2 are recyclable. Number 5 is not recyclable. You can reuse it. You have to take caps off to recycle.




• “I learned that you should use the least amount of packaging. I also learned that the school produces 300 "Logans" [schoolmate weighing approx. 90 lbs.] each year for garbage.
  
  


• “I learned to try to use less packaging. I learned to not use plastic bags.
  



• “I am going to buy big packages instead of little ones.
  



• “I am going to recycle and reuse as much as I can!




• “Reuse, reduce and recycle. Use reusable bags at the supermarket. When you brush your teeth, don't keep the water on because you are wasting 4 quarts of water. 1 & 2 are things that you can recycle. 4 & 5 are not, but they are reusable. Buy things that have less stuff to throw out.

By John Pincince & Rian Smith

S.K.’s Community Learning Project’s fall segment entitled “My Place” will continue with history, marine life, shellfish aquaculture, agriculture, watersheds, and land conservation in and around Narragansett Bay. This winter the segment entitled “My People” will address basic human needs and diversity; and “My Environment” will focus on natural processes and local flora and fauna in the spring.