» School News You Can Use

School News You Can Use – April, 2015

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Spring in New England!

CLUB News – Earth Day! April 22!
CLUB Conference News – Brochure & Registration Ready
In The News – Butterfly Heroes
EPA & NHDES News – EPA Earth Day Links
Activity – Friendship Bracelets
Green Calendar

Click here to view PDF

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CLUB NEWS

Wishing you all a terra-ific Earth Day!

The CLUB urges all schools to celebrate Earth Day on April 22. We would love to feature your pictures and stories in our next newsletter, to inspire and support other environmental programs. Please feel free to email the CLUB at: [email protected]

From Earthday.org:

“Frequently Asked Questions”

When is Earth Day?
Earth Day is honored around the world on April 22, although larger events such as festivals and rallies are often organized for the weekends before or after April 22. Many communities also observe Earth Week or Earth Month, organizing a series of environmental activities throughout the month of April.
Why do we need an Earth Day?
Because it works! Earth Day broadens the base of support for environmental programs, rekindles public commitment and builds community activism around the world through a broad range of events and activities. Earth Day is the largest civic event in the world, celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a billion people participate in our campaigns every year.
What can I do for Earth Day?
The possibilities for getting involved are endless! Volunteer. Go to a festival. Install solar panels on your roof. Organize an event in your community. Change a habit. Help launch a community garden. Communicate your priorities to your elected representatives. Do something nice for the Earth, have fun, meet new people, and make a difference. But you needn’t wait for April 22! Earth Day is Every Day. To build a better future, we all must commit to protect our environment year-round.
What is Earth Day Network?
Founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970, Earth Day Network (EDN) promotes year-round environmental citizenship and action, worldwide. Earth Day Network is a driving force, steering environmental awareness around the world. Through Earth Day Network, activists connect, interact and impact their communities, and create positive change in local, national, and global policies. EDN’s international network reaches over 22,000 organizations in 192 countries, while the domestic program assists over 30,000 educators, coordinating thousands of community development and environmental protection activities throughout the year.

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CONFERENCE NEWS

Conference Brochure and Registration

Now Available

The School Recycling CLUB’s 6th Annual Conference will be held at the Radisson in Manchester on Tuesday, June 9, 2015. This year’s theme is “Real Challenges-Real Solutions.” Registration includes breakfast and lunch. Member School fee is $50/Student; $75/Teacher. Non-member fee is $60/Student; $90/Teacher. If you are unsure of your member status, please call us at 603-736-4401 and we’ll check it for you.

To review the Conference schedule, workshops and presenters, click here: Conference Brochure Link

To download the writable Registration Page, click here: http://www.schoolrecycling.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/One-Page-Attendee-Registration-Sheet-Writable.pdf

Once you have filled it out, please email, fax or mail it back to us ASAP. (Don’t delay – special package rates end May 13.)

For on-line registrations:

If you are an NRRA Member and wish to register on-line, Click Here.

If you a NOT an NRRA Member and wish to register on-line, Click Here.

Please Note: All NH schools may apply for grants of 1/2 off their registration fees through NH the Beautiful. Here is the link: http://www.schoolrecycling.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/NHtB-School-Grant-Form-Writable-Updated.pdf

We look forward to seeing you all at the Conference!

Award Winning Entertainer Set for

Conference Awards Luncheon!

The School CLUB is very excited to announce that we have confirmed that Jack Golden, an exceptional and award winning environmental entertainer, will present at the Awards Luncheon on June 9. Jack offers an inspiring, educational and hilarious performance called “Garbage Is My Bag.”

For more information about Jack’s many programs, visit: http://garbageismybag.com/

TreeSmart Pencil Preview

We are pleased to confirm that Chris Strangland, President of TreeSmart Industries, will be conducting a workshop at our conference.

TreeSmart makes pencils out of recycled newspapers.

For a fun preview of this process, go to: TreeSmart

Award Nominations Still Being Accepted

Does your school have an individual, program or event that deserves special recognition for outstanding work in recycling? These are just some of the award categories to be considered:

Choose one of the above, or come up with your own award idea!

Winners will be announced and recognized at our Conference Awards Luncheon on June 9.

Please follow this link to the nomination form. We have temporarily extended the April 1 deadline so don’t delay!

Would you like to host a TOLD, Garbage Guerillas or another Workshop at your school? Let the CLUB Help!

Improves academic performance, especially in science and math
Can lead to financial savings for schools
Decreases the school’s carbon footprint through practical solutions that reduce energy and water consumption
Reduces school waste and conserves natural resources
Encourages student environmental awareness and stewardship
Increases parental involvement
Helps students and teachers develop stronger relationships with their communities

Previous EPA EE-funded research at over 200 New England schools completed by the NRRA School Recycling CLUB (the CLUB) found that the single most challenging area for school recycling programs was in providing curriculum integrations that brought recycling and sustainability into classrooms to be used as the subject matter for meeting state and local curriculum standards. The intention of the CLUB programs is to address just that issue in schools across all six New England states. Our goal is to use the CLUB’s workshops and technical assistance programs, all experiential and hands on, as a tool for educating K-12 students about consumption, proper diversion of waste, the resulting impacts on climate change and what they can do to change it. Through these offerings, we are also afforded the opportunity to link these priorities to curriculum standards. In addition, these workshops will model, for educators or community leaders, exemplary ways of teaching in creative, effective, and efficient methods about human health threats from environmental pollution as well as how to minimize human exposure to preserve good health. Click here to learn more or contact us at [email protected] or call 1.603.736.4401 ext. 19

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IN THE NEWS

From our friends at the National Wildlife Federation:

Help Save the Monarch by Becoming a Butterfly Hero!

The iconic monarch butterfly is in trouble, but you and your family can come to its rescue. Our new Butterfly Heroes campaign will help you save monarchs and the other pollinators that help provide every third bite of food at our tables. It takes just 3 simple steps:
1. Take your photo making the symbol for butterfly (like Ranger Rick and our pals, below)
2. Make your pledge to be a Butterfly Hero
3. Plant your garden with a FREE starter kit from NWF (while supplies last)
Enter by May 15 and you’ll be eligible for a chance to win a trip for four to Walt Disney World.

Learn more and take your pledge TODAY
The more butterfly gardens you build, the more monarchs you can help, so challenge others in your community to become Butterfly Heroes, too!
When you plant your garden, you’ll join the ever-growing Garden for Wildlife movement and can become eligible to have your garden recognized by National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat at www.nwf.org/garden.

Toy Recycling Made Easy

From Resource Recycling NewsBits: Tom’s of Maine and recycling company TerraCycle have teamed up to launch a toy-recycling program.

Through the program, parents can obtain a free Toy Recycling Box *with prepaid shipping label. Items including dolls and board game pieces can be mailed to TerraCycle, a company that specializes in recycling difficult-to-process items.

Return your Toy Box by July 31, 2105 to receive a free upcycled Tom’s of Maine tote!*

(*While supplies last. Total program participation limited to 500 Toy Boxes and 100 upcycled totes. Tote mailed upon receipt of returned Toy Box.)

Here’s another great link from our friends at dosomething.org, even though March was Women’s History Month:

Scholarships for Women

Apply to win over $50,000 during Women’s History Month.
“Run the World.” “Independent Woman.” “Flawless.” Every time Beyoncé is on a track, it’s pretty much the Year of the Woman. (Shouldn’t that be every year?)
This could be YOUR year…to earn serious money for school! Read the list and enter to win of these women’s scholarships, worth over $50,000.
http://www.fastweb.com/college-scholarships/articles/scholarships-for-women

Don’t feel left out, guys, here’s a link for you too: http://www.fastweb.com/college-scholarships/featured-scholarships

Crayola Design-A-Charm Contest

March 25 to May 6

http://www.shopcharm-it.com/contest-entry-form

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EPA & NHDES NEWS

From EPA GoGreen Newsletter – March 2015

Earth Day is April 22. If you’re in school, check out these ideas you can use — whichever side of the desk you’re on.
• Teachers lesson plan ideas: http://www.epa.gov/students/teachers.html
• Student homework resources: http://www.epa.gov/students/homework.html
• Community projects: http://www.epa.gov/students/communityservice.html

Discover WILD New Hampshire Day

Set for Saturday, April 18, 2015

Discover WILD New Hampshire Day. Saturday, April 18, 2015. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, N.H. Fun family day features live animals, big fish, hands-on activities, exhibits by outdoor and environmental groups. Help Fish and Game celebrate 150 years conserving fish and wildlife. Free admission. Visit wildnh.com.

Look for the Safer Choice Label

This Spring

Finding products that are safer for you, your family, and the environment should be easy – that’s why EPA created the Safer Choice label. The new label helps you identify products with safer chemical ingredients, without sacrificing quality or performance. When you see a product with this new label, it means that every ingredient in the product has been evaluated by EPA scientists against our stringent health and safety standards.

Look for products with the Safer Choice label in stores later this spring. Major producers and retailers like Clorox, Walmart, Jelmar/CLR, Earth Friendly Products, Bissel, Wegmans, and hundreds of others have agreed to start putting Safer Choice products on the shelves this year.

Learn about the label and find a list of safer products here. http://epa.gov/saferchoice
Read a blog post and watch a video by Administrator Gina McCarthy announcing the new label here. http://go.usa.gov/3x7Fx

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
March 26, 2015
Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

New England Organizations Step Up for EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge and Help to Reduce Food Waste

BOSTON – Thirteen New England organizations have backed a national effort led by the US Environmental Protection Agency to help cut down on the nearly 35 million tons of food wasted in the United States each year. This EPA initiative encourages businesses, organizations and institutions to prevent food waste by donating or recycling food.

Among the groups endorsing EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, are both the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), which have become official “endorsers.” Food Recovery Challenge Endorsers help educate others about the environmental consequences of wasted food and help recruit new groups to join the 750 already taking part in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge.

“Sending food to a landfill represents missed opportunities to reduce costs, protect the environment and help our neighbors,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “Our New England partners and endorsers of the Food Recovery Challenge are making a real difference for the environment and for our communities.”

“We are enthusiastically endorsing EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge,” said Robert Klee, Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP). “We have been working closely with community partners to address this important issue – and this new EPA initiative offers another valuable tool to help us prevent and reduce wasted food, and to move forward with Connecticut’s overall solid waste reduction and recycling strategies. ”

“Massachusetts supports the goals of the U.S. EPA Food Recovery Challenge,” said MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg. “We look forward to continuing to partner with EPA on this valuable work and to assisting Massachusetts businesses through our RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts program.”
EPA’s Sustainable Material’s Management Web Academy Webinar Series (http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/smm/foodrecovery/frc_webnr_archve.htm) highlighted active endorsers in a recent webinar. Endorsers include state government, associations, businesses and Non-Governmental Organizations whose missions align with reducing wasted food in their communities. New England groups are building on commercial food waste disposal ban regulations in Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Nearly 35 million tons of food waste was generated in 2012, 95 percent of which was thrown away into landfills or incinerators, according to EPA’s recently released Municipal Characterization Report. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that wasted food costs America more than $165 billion annually and that the average family of four throws away $1,600 worth of food each year. At the same time, 14.3 percent of households in the U.S. in 2012 did not know where their next meal would come from.
Wasted food has economic, environmental and social impacts. Much of the food discarded, especially by institutions, is actually safe, wholesome food that could potentially feed millions of Americans. Excess food, leftovers and scraps that are not fit for consumption and donation can be recycled into a nutrient-rich soil supplement.

The New England Food Recovery Challenge Endorsers include these organizations:

Massachusetts
Boston Green Tourism
Boston University Community Service Center
Center for EcoTechnology
EV New England
Manomet Center for Conservation Service
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA)
Spoiler Alert

New Hampshire
New Hampshire Hospital Association
Northeast Resource Recovery Association’s School Recycling Club
Connecticut
Community Plates
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection

Vermont
Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.

More information:
– EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge: (http://www.epa.gov/smm/foodrecovery/index.htm)
– EPA Municipal Solid Waste Facts & Figures (http://www.epa.gov/waste/nonhaz/municipal/msw99.htm)
– USDA information on Food Waste: (http://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/faqs.htm)

EPA’s REDUCING WASTED FOOD & PACKAGING

PILOT PROGRAM AND WEBINAR SERIES

Sustainable Materials Management Web Academy is hosting a free four-part webinar series to guide users through the waste assessment and reduction process presented in the Reducing Wasted Food & Packaging Toolkit. All are welcome to participate in the webinar series! The schedule and links to register are listed below.

“A Step-by-Step Guide to Conducting a Food Waste Assessment with the Reducing Wasted Food & Packaging Toolkit”

Milestone 1: Preparing for a Food Waste Assessment and Establishing a Baseline
Thursday, January 29, 2015, 1:00pm—3:00pm EST – SORRY, ALREADY DONE.
Slide presentation available at: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/smm/web-academy/index.htm

Milestone 2: Data Analysis, Creating and Implementing Waste Reduction Strategies
Thursday, February 26, 2015, 1:00pm—3:00pm EST – SORRY, ALREADY DONE.
Slide presentation available at: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/smm/web-academy/index.htm

Milestone 3: Tracking Progress
Thursday, March 26, 2015, 1:00pm—3:00pm EST – SORRY, ALREADY DONE.
Slide presentation available at: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/smm/web-academy/index.htm

Milestone 4: Measuring Impact
Thursday, April 23, 2015, 1:00pm—3:00pm EST
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/100000000064935220

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ACTIVITY

How to Make a Friendship Bracelet

with a Recycled Plastic Lid

by Pauline Molinari • February 12, 2014

http://www.club.chicacircle.com/

Friendship bracelets are totally in, but all the fancy kits to make them can be costly! There’s a better way to make intricate, colorful bracelets for kids. If you want to learn how to make a friendship bracelet with a recycled lid, here’s a fast, easy method that will have kids weaving beautiful jewelry for themselves and their friends! These DIY friendship bracelets only require two things, an old plastic lid and multicolored string, so no need to worry about scrambling for materials. And they make great gifts for anyone!

Materials: Recycled Crafts, Mixed Media/Miscellaneous
Age Group: Elementary School, Pre-Teens, Teens
Time to complete: One hour

It’s super simple to make a pretty friendship bracelet with the use of a recycled plastic lid.
All you need to make your own friendship bracelet:

• 7 strands of embroidery thread (colors of choice) – I cut mine to 18″ long each
• Recycled plastic lid – I used an oatmeal container lid
• Scissors to turn your lid into a homemade weaving wheel

Here is how to make the wheel:

• First cut 8 notches around your plastic lid with a sharp scissors. I measured it like a clock face starting with 12 and 6, and then 3 and 9, finishing up with notches in-between those four.
• Then I cut a small hole in the center of the lid. That’s it! Now your wheel is ready.

Preparing materials for weaving the bracelet:

• With your 7 strands of embroidery thread, tie them together on one end with a basic knot.
• Holding the knot in the middle, string the 7 strings into 7 of the 8 slits you made on your wheel. Now you are ready to start weaving.

Here is how you weave your friendship bracelet:

When you have your bracelet at the desired length, simply remove from your wheel and tie another knot on the end.

Give to a friend, or enjoy on your own wrist!

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GREEN CALENDAR

04/18/15 – Discover WILD NH Day – To plan your event, visit www.wildnh.org.

04/22/15 – Earth Day – To plan your event, see future newsletters and visit www.earthday.org.

04/24/15 – Arbor Day – To plan your event, see future newsletters and visit www.arborday.org.

06/05/15 – World Environment Day – To plan your event, see future newsletters and visit www.unep.org.

06/08/15 – World Oceans Day – To plan your event, see future newsletters and visit www.worldoceansday.org.

06/8 & 9/15 – NRRA 34th Annual Northeast Recycling Conference & Expo– Real Challenges – Real Solutions. This two-day event will be held at the Radisson in Manchester, NH. Here’s the link: NRRA Conference

06/09/15 – NRRA 6th Annual School CLUB Conference – The “conference within the conference” celebrates schools and students with activities and awards. See our Conference page for details.

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WHAT IS YOUR SCHOOL CLUB UP TO? The NRRA School CLUB always loves to hear what its members and other schools are doing to recycle and help the environment so we can share it through our newsletter. There are so many different things being done, and you are our best source of information about what is working in your school. It can be a new program, a long-term project that’s been proven over time, a field trip, etc. Always feel free to contact me or submit something and you may see it in the next School News You Can Use! – Gwen Erley, [email protected] 1.603.736.4401 ext 19