How will you celebrate Earth Month? One way to go green is to make sure you use eco-friendly products in your daily life. Fjallraven, a Swedish-based company that specializes in creating outdoor gear, created the Re-Kanken backpack which is made entirely from polyester created from plastic bottles!



Last week, Grades of Green’s New York Team kicked of Earth Month with Fjallraven at their Soho location. Together, we taught people other simple ways they can go green for Earth Month. Check out the tips below:


1. Even if turned off, appliances that are still plugged into an outlet will continue to consume energy. Make sure to unplug appliances when not in use to save energy and money!



2. Hydration stations are a great way to get fresh, clean water while also reducing the amount of plastic water bottles used.



3. You can reduce your exposure to toxins by taking your shoes off before entering your home and by making your own green cleaning supplies. Homes of shoe-wearers contain an average of 10 times more dust than homes where families don’t wear shoes indoors!




4. You can reduce air pollution and save money by not idling – make sure to turn your car off if you won’t be moving. Just 30 seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting.




5. You can help prevent deforestation and water and air pollution by having a meatless meal. If you ate just one less burger a week for a year, it would be the equivalent of taking your car off the road for 320 miles!



Interested in celebrating Earth Month with your school? Click here to register with Grades of Green and unlock our 40+ eco-Activities!

 

Hey Everyone!

As many of you already know, April is Earth Month! This is the perfect time to get your friends and family to partake in a month-long resolution to help out the Earth!

So how do we start?

Simplify and Organize

In order to engage others in an environmental resolution, check out some tips from our “Spread the Word” webinar. These tips should be able to help you “simplify” your message and “organize” your activities and message!

First, focus on one thing that you and your friends can do to help out for Earth Month. You can aim to reduce water usage, plastic waste, compost more, or think of your own solution! If your resolution and activity can be simplified, it will be easier to engage people in one task for an entire month!

Second, share your activity with your community and tell them why you care! Earth Month is a time for everyone to act, from eco-leaders to people who are less environmentally active. Remember, every environmentalist started somewhere! By sharing why you care, you can inspire others to care with you!

Earth Month Resolutions!

This month, Grades of Green Advisors are engaging in their own resolutions!

– Jordan cares about food and the water wasted from food. This month, he is banning all red meats from his diet!

– Emily Stewart was worried about the plastic that came with her lunches from the delicious restaurants nearby. Her resolution is to make trash-free lunches for this entire month!

– Emily Gee wants to reduce our energy output! She is going to talk to her landlord about switching to energy efficient LED lightbulbs.

Share your resolutions with us on social media! Tag us @gradesofgreen on Instagram or Facebook!

Have a happy Earth Month everyone!

What’s greener than no idle zones in schools? No idle zones in car dealerships! In celebration of Earth Month, LAcarGUY is setting a new auto industry standard by introducing the very first No Idle Service Center in all 11 of their South Bay dealerships. As one of Grades of Green’s longtime supporters, LAcarGUY has helped dozens of schools take on the No Idle Zone activity to educate parents and students on why it’s important to reduce carbon emissions and unnecessary idling. As green leaders of the auto industry, LAcarGUY is showing just why they are on the forefront of environmental sustainability. Way to go LAcarGUY! Interested in implementing a no idle zone in your school? Check out Grades of Green’s No Idle Zone Activity for a step-by-step guide on how to roll out a successful program and don’t forget to watch our recent webinar to learn how one small and simple change can make a positive impact on the environment.

Huge shout out to Children of Our Savior Preschool for its awesome green celebrations during Earth Month! Students in the “Angels” class at Children of Our Savior learned the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra at school during Earth Week. These fantastic students undertook a waste-free lunch challenge to reduce the amount of food waste Children of Our Savior sends landfills. So, the “Angels” were encouraged to bring in their own utensils, cloth napkins, and Tupperware for lunch. The Angels had the goal of having an empty trash bag in the school cafeteria by Friday.

Children of Our Savior Preschool is a Grades of Green School based in Los Angeles, California. Children of Our Savior recently took on the Air Earth Tips Activity as well. Keep up the great work Children of Our Savior!

Grades of Green kicked off earth month by hosting fun and educational booths at multiple outreach events! At the Bixby Knolls Earth Day event, Grades of Green staff and Youth Corps Eco-Leadership students invited guests to make recycled gift tags. This year the event showcased electric vehicles, rain barrels, and green demonstrations. The event was made complete by free environmentally friendly giveaways and free paper shredding!

At the LA County Sanitation District Earth Day event, Grades of Green staff played the Natural Resources Matching Game with guests while also encouraging people to take on an environmental pledge to help the planet. With everything from water reclamation plant and materials recovery facility tours to free shower buckets and reusable bag handouts, the LA County Sanitation District Earth Day event inspired thousands of people to do their part to help the environment.

Want to test your knowledge of natural resources by playing the Grades of Green Natural Resources Matching Game or share an environmental pledge with social media by writing it out on the Grades of Green environmental pledge board? Stop by the Grades of Green booth at the MB Earth Day Celebration event at Polliwog Park on Saturday, April 22nd! Interested in taking on an eco-friendly activity with your school in honor of earth month? Click here to register and unlock Grades of Green’s 40+ Activities!