Going Green at El Carmelo

Our school community works hard to reduce, reuse, recycle.

Join our efforts:

• Reduce trash at lunch by working towards waste free lunch boxes (See below). We also encourage families to bring reusable plates, cups and utensils to all school events.
• Reduce Energy Use by encouraging all students to walk, bus or bike to school and turning off classroom lights at lunch.
• Reduce Paper Use by putting the Carmeletter online (this reduced Carmeletter paper use by 45% last year), using eNews for communication, encouraging staff to use both sides of paper and send only one item per family, and getting off junk mail lists.
• Reuse books through our annual book exchange. This year we are sponsoring a larger service effort January 19-24 to collect such items as books, professional clothing and coats, hotel toiletries, kids party favors, and canned foods, and GIVE IT ALL AWAY.
• Recycle paper, cans, and bottles with bins in classrooms and throughout the school.

Tips Towards a Waste Free Lunch

1. Use all reusable containers in your child's lunch box. NO BAGGIES. If you do use baggies, take them home, wash, and reuse them.
2. Only pack what your child will eat.
3. Pack a cloth napkin and reusable utensils.
4. Purchase snacks in bulk and repack in individual reusable containers to reduce packaging waste.
5. Pack fresh fruit. It's healthy and does not require packaging.
6. Use a small thermos in your child's lunch for drinks instead of a throw away container (particularly since water and milk are the preferred drinks compared to juice in boxes).
7. Remind your child to recycle anything in their lunch that's recyclable (such as plastic with a number on it or a can). El Carmelo provides recycling bins next to all the lunch tables.

Please join our school green team to take our efforts further or email your ideas by contacting Megan Swezey Fogarty at meganfogarty@sbcglobal.net.