Back to School 2009
IN THIS ISSUE
- Add Green to Your Back to School Routine
- A High School Student’s Thoughts on Green Living
- Find Us on Facebook
- Promotion: Stainless Steel Container with Lid
- Word of the month
- Upcoming events
- Visit us online at www.olivineproducts.com
FEATURE ARTICLE
Add Green to Your Back to School Routine
This fall my two kids, ages 5 and 9, join the ranks of 49.8 million students in the U.S. that will attend public elementary and secondary schools*. It is an exciting time, filled with opportunities to make new friends, participate in a variety of new activities, and of course learn the 3 Rs—Reading, Writing, and ‘Rithmatic. At home we are also committed to another set of 3 Rs—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It may seem hard to incorporate this earth-conscious philosophy during the back to school season, which is filled with pressures to buy all new supplies, clothes and equipment for your budding Einsteins. Rest assured, you are teaching your kids a valuable life lesson and also saving some hard-earned cash when you add a shade of green to your back to school routine. Here are a few thoughts, tips and strategies.
- Consider reusing last year’s backpack and lunch bag. These items tend to be very durable and can easily last more than one school year. You can clean the bag and then decorate with a new patch, embroidery design or anything else that might delight your child.
- Before hitting the stores make a detailed shopping list of what you really need and stick to it. This helps avoid impulse purchases. Also remember: you do not have to purchase every single item on the supply list before the first day of school. These school-generated lists have to cover the needs of all students and your child will not need everything on the list. Start off with the essentials and add on later as necessary.
- Stick to reusable lunch supplies when packing a lunch from home. There is an impressive array of products to store all manner of drinks, snacks and sandwiches. In my estimation I saved 800 plastic baggies from clogging the landfill last year by turning to more durable, washable products. Visit the Olivine™ shop to see our offering.
- When possible, choose to walk or bike to school. This might seem like a no-brainer, but according to Planet Green, 50% of students who live within a mile of school usually get there by car. Walking or biking could be an opportunity to get exercise, enjoy the outdoors and reduce carbon emissions.
*Source: National Center for Education Statistics
FEATURE ARTICLE
A High School Student’s Thoughts on Green Living
My name is Rachel and I’m a high school senior from Central New Jersey. The environment is something I care a lot about, and it’s a part of my life in many ways. I’m a member of my school’s environmental action club; we brainstorm ways to minimize our carbon emissions and get everyone involved in conserving energy.
I recently traveled to West Virginia to participate in a Student Climate and Conservation Congress—a conference for teenagers who are interested in improving the condition of our planet. The weeklong conference was held at the National Conservation Training Center. We put together our own presentations and considered ideas to bring back to our homes and schools. It was a valuable week, and I appreciated the opportunity to meet and learn from other kids with similar interests as myself.
By “saving the planet” we are actually saving ourselves. The earth will continue to survive without humans, but if we want to sustain our species, it’s important that we pursue a sustainable lifestyle. Global warming is a serious issue, and there isn’t much time before all of us will feel the impact of its effects. We can take steps toward a greener future by reducing our carbon footprint and energy consumption. The products sold through Olivine accomplish this by eliminating waste, chemicals and the use of disposable plastic and paper. Olivine offers a way to build our sustainability on a daily basis through inexpensive, everyday items. I use many of the products myself and would definitely recommend them to those who are interested in saving our planet—or saving ourselves.
GET CONNECTED
We want to hear from you! What do you think of our back to school newsletter? Give us your feedback on this or any other topic on our recently launched Facebook page.
PROMOTION
Stainless Steel Round Container with Lid
Sale price $8
(regular price $9)
While supplies last
Most other retailers require these containers to be purchased in a set of two. At the Olivine™ shop you can by them in singles!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Come visit Olivine™ at these upcoming events
Saturday, September 12
Pennington Market, Community Fest and Farmers’ Market, 10 A.M.-1 P.M.
Saturday, September 26
10 A.M.-3 P.M., Laurapalooza 2009, Pennington Shopping Center
Saturday, October 3
10 A.M.-2 P.M.
GroWW (Greening of West Windsor) Environmental Education Fair, at the West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market, West Windsor NJ
Tuesdays, October 13, 20, 27, 7:30-9 P.M., Princeton Adult School course on Green Living
WORD OF THE MONTH
This month we’d like to share two related words.
Post-consumer: Refers to recycled material that was used first by a consumer. A high post-consumer content helps divert materials from ending up in landfills.
Pre-consumer: Refers to recycled material that came from the manufacturing process. Pre-consumer recycling of scraps and discards diverts waste that may otherwise end up in landfills, and reduces use of raw materials.
Source: LOHAS.com
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