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December 2024: Happy Holidays, MASC! This holiday season, try to spread joy while spreading sustainability! From reusing decorations, to simply turning off lights, there are tons of ways to reduce your environmental impact during the holidays. Explore this month’s Green Goals for easy tips on making your festive season more eco-friendly. Let’s celebrate a greener winter season together!
1. Eco-Friendly Packaging – When wrapping gifts, consider sustainable options such as recycled paper, reusable fabric, or even old newspapers. Avoid single-use wrapping materials with plastic coatings or glitter, as they are not recyclable. Try using twine, dried flowers, or natural elements like pine cones to decorate your packages instead of synthetic ribbons. You can also use reusable gift bags or boxes that recipients can repurpose for other occasions. By choosing eco-friendly packaging, you reduce waste while adding a unique and thoughtful touch to your holiday gifts.
2. Reuse Decorations – This holiday season, take items that you already have or find creative ways to use materials around you instead of buying new decor. Start by saving items from previous years (such as wreaths, artificial trees, and ornaments) and using them again to reduce waste. You can also try repurposing old materials like fabric scraps to create bows or garlands. Not only does this lower your environmental impact, but it’s also a cost-efficient way to add a homemade touch to your holiday celebrations.
3. Buy Second-Hand – Buy second-hand items for books, toys, clothing, and more during the holidays to give them a new life instead of contributing to waste. Thrifting is also a great way to find vintage or one-of-a-kind pieces that can add character to your celebrations. By choosing second-hand, you help reduce the demand for new products, which lowers the energy needed for production and transportation. Plus, it’s budget-friendly! You can also give back to your community by donating gently-used items to local charitable organizations.
4. Turn Off Lights – Turning off lights during this season is a simple yet effective way to reduce energy usage. While festive lights create a joyful atmosphere, they also consume significant energy when left on for extended periods. By turning them off during the day or when everyone has gone to bed, save electricity and lower your carbon footprint. An effective way to manage this is by using a timer, which automatically turns off your lights after a set period, making it both convenient and environmentally conscious.Minimize Heater Use – To reduce energy consumption during the colder months, limit reliance on heaters by layering clothing and using warm blankets. Seal drafts around doors and windows to retain heat more effectively and consider using area rugs to insulate floors. Taking advantage of natural sunlight by opening curtains during the day can also help warm up your home. For additional savings, lower your thermostat a few degrees and use a programmable thermostat to optimize heating schedules. These small adjustments can significantly decrease your energy usage and environmental impact.
November 2024: This November, we encourage you to give thanks and give back with sustainable habits! From composting your Thanksgiving food scraps to shopping locally and carpooling to gatherings, there are many ways to reduce your environmental impact. Explore this month’s Green Goals for easy tips on making your holiday season more eco-friendly. Let’s celebrate a greener Thanksgiving together!
Carpooling – Carpool with friends or family when attending social events to reduce emissions. Use carpooling apps or group messaging to coordinate rides, making it easier to plan together. Rotate who drives or shares fuel costs as an incentive for participation. This practice minimizes your carbon footprint and also makes gatherings more affordable.
Buying Locally Sourced Food – When preparing Thanksgiving food, buy groceries from local farmers’ markets or sustainable vendors. Begin by researching local markets in your area and planning meals around seasonal produce. Try building relationships with farmers to use local ingredients regularly. Additionally, use your packaging, such as glass containers, for storing the ingredients you buy. This approach supports local economies and reduces the carbon footprint associated with long-distance food transport.
Storing and Repurposing Leftovers – Store leftovers in reusable containers and repurpose them into new meals a few times a week to minimize food waste and save money. Organize your fridge so leftovers are easily visible and accessible, making it simple to grab and use. Get creative with recipes (such as a “Thanksgiving Casserole”) that turn yesterday’s meals into fresh dishes, helping to reduce landfill waste and supporting a more sustainable approach to cooking. You can also encourage your community to bring reusable containers to gatherings to ensure no food goes wasted!
Composting Food Scraps – Composting is essential for Thanksgiving as it reduces holiday food waste and helps enrich soil instead of adding to landfills. To reduce food waste in your household, try setting up a composting system. Start by choosing a composting method that suits your space, like a countertop bin, outdoor pile, or a tumbler. Help educate your friends and family on what can and cannot be composted. Then, regularly collect food scraps, and use the compost for your garden or donate it to a community garden.
Sustainable Outdoor Activities – This Thanksgiving, choose outdoor activities, such as hiking or biking to enjoy nature sustainably. By using non-motorized options, you will help reduce pollution and conserve resources. You can also participate in local environmental initiatives such as trail maintenance or tree planting, which provide a meaningful way to give back to the community while spending time outdoors. These activities are a great way to connect with family and friends during the holiday season!
October 2024: It’s Spooky Season, MASC! Embrace a green Halloween and celebrate in an eco-friendly way. Reduce your environmental footprint and inspire others to do the same. From DIY costumes to composting your pumpkins, discover how to make your October spooky and sustainable. For sustainable tricks (and treats), check out this month’s Green Goals and join us in making a positive impact this Halloween!
1. DIY or Thrift Costumes – Creating or thrifting your costume is a great way to stay green. Fast fashion contributes heavily to waste and pollution, so repurposing clothes you already have or shopping second-hand reduces that impact. Get creative by combining old clothes, fabric scraps, or even repurposed household items. Thrift stores can inspire fresh, inventive costumes while keeping your budget and the planet happy.
2. Eco-Friendly Decor – This Halloween, skip the plastic decor and embrace natural, reusable, or upcycled options. Make spooky centerpieces from leaves and twigs, create lanterns from glass jars, and use what you already have in the house. You can also buy reusable Halloween decorations that last for years. Biodegradable decorations made from paper or fabric are also eco-friendly. When Halloween is over, these items can be composted, helping to reduce landfill waste.
3. Sustainable Trick-or-Treating – Use reusable bags, baskets, or pillowcases for collecting candy instead of plastic bags or buckets. You can also reduce waste by offering treats with more eco-friendly packaging, like candies wrapped in foil or paper. Another option is to hand out small, non-candy items such as pencils, stickers, or toys, which are more likely to be reused, and less likely to end up in the landfill. These alternatives reduce waste while still keeping Halloween fun for kids. Encourage neighbors to join in for an even greater impact!
4. Compost Your Pumpkins – After Halloween, compost your pumpkins instead of tossing them in the trash. Organic matter like pumpkins breaks down easily in a compost pile, providing nutrients to the soil. If you don’t have a compost bin, many communities offer pumpkin drop-off points for composting. This simple step reduces food waste in landfills and can help bring some life to your grass or garden.
5. Green Halloween Parties – When hosting a Halloween party, opt for sustainable practices to make your celebration both fun and eco-friendly. Use reusable tableware, such as cloth napkins and ceramic plates, instead of disposable items. Decorate with upcycled or natural materials, like fall leaves and pumpkins. Offer locally sourced or organic snacks and drinks, and choose eco-friendly party favors like spooky plants or homemade treats. Encourage guests to bring reusable containers for leftovers, and consider digital invitations to reduce paper waste.
September 2024: Welcome back-to-school, MASC! This school year, make sustainability a priority and mitigate your impact on our environment. By incorporating eco-friendly practices into your school routines, you can protect the planet and create valuable learning opportunities for yourself and your peers that are an essential part of education. To learn more about back-to-school sustainability, check out this month’s Green Goals below!
1. Purchase Eco-Friendly School Supplies – When purchasing new school supplies, opt for products with minimal packaging or ones that are made from recycled materials. However, it’s always best to use what you have. If you have pencils that are leftover from last year, use them! You can also reuse folders, binders, and even notebooks from previous years to be more eco-friendly.
2. Waste-Free Lunches – If you pack your lunch, try to use reusable lunch boxes and water bottles instead of disposable ones. This reduces waste and prevents more plastic from ending up in landfills. It normally ends up being more cost-efficient over time too! Purchasing and using reusable food storage containers instead of using single-use Ziploc-type bags also reduces waste, and can also be more cost-effective.
3. Using Sustainable Transportation – There are several eco-friendly options for traveling to school and beyond. Walking and biking not only reduce your carbon footprint but also promote physical health and well-being. Carpooling and public transportation, such as school buses, are great ways to minimize emissions and costs by sharing rides. Additionally, electric and hybrid vehicles offer cleaner alternatives to traditional gas vehicles, and many school districts are adopting electric school buses to further decrease environmental impact.
4. Reduce Energy Waste – For effective lighting, maximize natural light by keeping blinds open during daylight hours. Try switching to energy-efficient LED bulbs and installing motion sensors to reduce unnecessary energy usage. You can make it a routine to turn off lights and unplug devices when they’re not in use, preventing wasted energy and reducing electricity costs. You can also use programmable thermostats to manage heating and cooling according to your schedule.
5. Environmental Clubs – If you are looking for a community of like-minded environmental advocates, consider joining an environmental club or team. These groups often organize events, clean-ups, and campaigns to drive collective action for protecting the environment. Many of these clubs explore environmental challenges and develop a creative approach to solving pressing environmental issues. You can also start your own!
August 2024: The summer is always packed with fun, games, and excitement. As you enjoy your summer, here are some top ways that you can stay sustainable while having fun.
1. Explore Local Farmers Markets – The summer is the peak season for farmers’ markets. These markets support local farmers and sustainably grown produce. Food grown at smaller, local farms is less likely to have harmful, toxic pesticides and artificial fertilizers used in the growing process. In addition, local produce doesn’t have to travel nearly as far, which means it’s fresher and produces less greenhouse gas emissions from transport.
2. Garden – Similar to food at farmers’ markets, produce and herbs grown in your backyard are superbly sustainable. When you grow your food, you reduce your carbon footprint and avoid harmful chemicals and pesticides that corporate farms use. Plus, you don’t have to garden alone! Starting a community garden is a great bonding activity for your neighborhood or community. You can even purchase a greenhouse cover to keep it going past summer!
3. Participate in a Local Cleanup – Participating in a neighborhood, park, stream, or beach cleanup is a great way to help protect our local waterways, land, and ecosystem. It also gives you time to get outside and hang out with friends and family. It can be as simple as picking up any trash you see while walking your dog or as organized as getting your whole neighborhood involved.
4. Bike or Walk Instead of Driving – Instead of driving to nearby summer destinations, consider biking or walking. These modes of transportation produce no emissions, are great forms of exercise, and are fun. You can explore local trails, parks, or scenery, all while reducing your carbon footprint and promoting a healthy lifestyle for you and your friends/family.
5. Host an Eco-Friendly Picnic – Organize a picnic with your friends and family using sustainable practices. Choose a local park, beach, or your backyard, and bring reusable utensils, plates, bowls, and napkins. Bring locally sourced foods (perhaps from a local farmers market, or your garden!) and beverages. Avoid single-use plastics and strive to use biodegradable or reusable items. You’ll enjoy a great meal outdoors, and will also minimize waste and support environmentally friendly practices.