Mr. Greenhab is trying his hardest to green his school. They had a recycling dumpster with pick up service at one point in the past, but no one ever used it, so it was discontinued. Now the school can't afford the $90 per month to get the bin back.
Since he started teaching at the school he's been trying to raise awareness about recycling and other environmental issues. Best of all, he's been teaching the kids why it's important, how to study the school critically, identify environmental problems and brainstorm ways to solve them.
Last week he signed his class up to participate in the 2nd annual Trash to Trees program which aims to "...raise awareness about the importance of recycling and making eco-friendly choices, in particular during the holiday season."
Each school that signs up gets a 5 foot tree to decorate using only recycled or repurposed materials. It has to have a theme and it can't use electricity. So far our thought was to save all of the recyclable trash that the school makes in a single day and decorate the tree with it. I'd like to make a statement about the amount of trash we could be saving from the landfill if the school just had the support and ability to recycle it.
The school has about 300 children, who eat both breakfast and lunch there, for a total of somewhere around 600 small plastic milk bottles thrown away each day. That's over 100,000 plastic milk bottles in the landfill each year for one single school.But I'm trying to think beyond stringing up 600 milk bottles all over the tree, which is where your creative mind comes in. Help us out by sharing your artistic ideas.
I remember some time ago reading a blog where the author made shrinky-dinks out of plastic, which made me think we could cut the bottles into ornament shapes and shrink them down. But I think those were actually made from the plastic clam shell produce containers. Yeah, that's my only idea so far. :(
Trees will be judged in 10 categories like Most Recycled Items Used, Best Tree Top Decoration and Most Original Decorating Theme. Winners receive a cash donation to the school's PTA/PTO. After the competition there is a silent auction where members of the community can bid on the trees. This money also goes to the respective school.
I think with the cash prizes the school would have enough money to pay for recycling for the year or even purchase a few computers. Can you imagine a school without student-access to computers? Or one where students didn't even have the option to watch President Obama's address to school children because their TVs are analog and they didn't have the money to purchase the converter boxes?
6 comments:
I am all over this! You just got me really excited! Our library did a tree like this last year and it is still up - LOL! They used soda 12/24 pack boxes cut into garland, caps from milk chugs, and cans that were cut into beautiful ornaments. There was so much more stuff, but I'll have to go back and refresh my memory. I like your idea of using the recycled containers. Is this something your husband is going to do himself, or are the kids making the ornaments? How old are they? I think the level of sophistication will vary obviously...little kids are not supposed to be using exacto knives or anything =) I will think more on this...good luck!
I personally didn't have any ideas. But, I googled and found a couple things that looked promising.
This site has lots of links:
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/RECYCLE/Tree/tree.htm
This site has a really cool idea for baby food jars that I think could be tweaked for the plastic jugs:
http://wickedstepmom.blogspot.com/2008/11/recycled-christmas-crafts-ornaments.html
Oh, and I found some tutorials online for Shrinky Dinks and all the ones I read said to use #6 plastic...
I did the Shrinky Dink thing. It does have to be #6 and that turns out to be mostly plastic clamshells.
I've seen some cool flowers made out of the bottom of plastic bottles. I looked for a picture of one on the web but didn't find it. Anyway, google flowers and plastic bottles and you'll see about 100 other ideas - all very cool.
Good luck. Go Mr. Greenhab!
I was thinking that you could make little Christmas tree garland from egg cartons.
Pie tin stars, metal juice caps can be decorated by using a hammer and nail, old magazines can be cut to make those paper chains, plastic bottles could be decorated to look like those crackers that are opened on Boxing day in England,milk caps can be strung to make garland.
My mom made Christmas ornaments out of small ice cream wooden spoons. she make them into a star and painted them and glittered them. we helped her make these as kids and I still have a few I hang on my tree every year.
Fleecenik's comment reminds me of ornaments my oldest made in preschool. They cut apart egg cartons, painted them, put a hole in the top and threaded a pipe cleaner through. The pipe cleaner was looped at the top and a bell put in at the bottom. Christmas bells.
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