Wow, we can’t believe how quickly the year is flying by! The kids are back in school with LA families shifting their beach days to school days. With the start of a new school year, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about the ways in which we can teach kids to be environmentally friendly, both in and out of the classroom.
Green your child’s lunch! Did you know that the average school lunch produces 0.34 lbs of waste? That’s a whopping 40 pounds of waste per child per year! Luckily, there is a simple solution to this waste problem: a zero-waste lunch! If you send your kids to school with lunch the idea of going zero-waste can sound intimidating, but it’s easier than you might think. Two simple tips include using reusable containers instead of plastic baggies, and supplying your child with reusable utensils and a cloth napkin instead of a paper napkin.
Go With Eco-Friendly School Supplies! During the beginning weeks of the school year, you might be tempted to buy a lot of school supplies. Your kid needs a new notebook, some number two pencils, a pencil sharpener, and a graphing calculator! You know the drill. But before taking that trip to the store, first check your house to make sure you don’t already have the items your child needs. You may be surprised at how many supplies you’ll find hiding in your child’s backpack from last year.
California Coastal Cleanup Day Is September 19, 2026! Talk to your school administrators or child’s teacher about the importance of keeping your child’s school litter free. California Coastal Clean-Up Day, on September 19, is the perfect opportunity to educate students and parents about the impact that inland trash and litter can have on our creeks, rivers, lakes and beaches. Learn more about California Coastal Cleanup Day.
Kids = Creativity We love it when entire families work together to make changes to their lifestyles and to their households to reduce their consumption, their water use, and generally help the environment. Children can be an excellent source of creative ideas so including them in the planning process will help them on their way to becoming environmental stewards. Kids are the future, after all, and we should strive to provide them with the information necessary for them to become good citizens of our planet Earth!
Do you have any eco-friendly back-to-school ideas that you’d like to share? E-mail your ideas to lastormwater@lacity.org and we’ll share your ideas on our social media channels.
