For many parents, their interest in sustainability and earth-friendly living is driven by a desire to create a better world for their children. Taking personal action and responsibility are part of the solution, but teaching the next generation to be environmentally conscious is an important part of the equation, too.
 
Connecting lessons about sustainability to familiar aspects of your child’s daily life, like school, can make it easy for him or her to understand and establish earth-friendly habits from a young age. Here are some tips on how to do that:  

1. Be smart about supplies
Before restocking your student’s supplies next time, take inventory of what you have left over from last year. Can you upcycle or repurpose anything? Your student probably had several items with plenty of life left, or things that were bought as backups, so you can avoid waste and save a little money while reducing your consumption of unnecessary goods.

2. Lead by example
Kids learn by example, so know they’re watching and internalizing your behaviors. If you’re not already practicing these habits, make an intentional effort to turn lights off before you leave the house each morning, turn off the water while brushing teeth and use alternate energy sources around the house.
 
3. Reduce food-based waste
Convenient, single-serve packaging makes assembling school lunches a breeze, but all that extra wrapping is waste that ends up in the landfill. Other options, like buying in bulk and sending treats in reusable bags, is a more earth-friendly approach. Bento-style boxes with compartments for different foods are another option to help make lunchtime more sustainable. Bamboo utensils are also gaining popularly. Similarly, encourage your child to carry a water bottle at school each day, which reduces water fountain waste (and cuts back on his or her exposure to germs).
 
4. Enjoy nature together
During all times of the year, you can create opportunities to spend quality time outdoors as a family. Showing your child reasons to appreciate nature can make it easier for him or her to understand and provide motivation to make choices that protect the earth.
 
5. Reinforce with reading
Multiple studies reinforce the benefits of reading with and to young students. Selecting books with earth-positive messaging helps them explore new ideas for sustainable living and see how beloved characters embrace values similar to those your family shares.
 
6. Think about alternative forms of transportation
In many communities around the country, fewer things are more synonymous with going to school than riding a school bus. The way kids ride to school today is very much the same way children traveled to school 25 years ago: in diesel school buses. However, diesel school buses are not only expensive to operate, but they pose risks to children’s health, the community and the climate. Today, there are two main options for clean student transportation: propane and electric. While both can reduce emissions, propane can do it at a fraction of the cost.
 
Every day, 1.3 million American children ride to school in 22,000 propane-powered school buses. Propane buses are currently in 1,000 school districts in 48 states. That’s only about 5% of the nation’s total buses, but the number is growing. While electric vehicles make sense for several uses, propane has the fuel range and performance needed for large vehicles that drive long distances without stopping to recharge or refuel. A typical propane school bus can drive more than 2.5 times farther on a full tank than a comparable electric school bus can drive on a full charge.
 

*Adapted from an article published by RISMedia

Source: 
https://propane.com/propane-products/buses/ utm_source=familyfeatures&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=16256-PERC

This material is meant for general illustration and/or informational purposes only. Although the information has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, no representation is made as to its accuracy.