Green Calhoun

In order to solve the climate crisis, we all need to act now. Although there is only so much that one individual can do, a whole community full of people acting to help the Earth can make a small change. And small changes add up, and lead to bigger changes. Why waste more when we have the opportunity to save more? The Calhoun Community aspires to be green because we want to try our best to do what we can to not contribute to global warming. 

Calhoun is green in many ways – look at the list below to see what we do!

• Reuse paper: Scrap paper bins are located around the school so that paper that hasn’t been used fully can be reused. 
• Composting: We compost food in the cafeteria, and have worked with Chef Lisa to create a guide to composting (include link) to help everyone compost correctly. 
• Unplug: We unplug devices that aren’t hard to turn on. Circuit breakers are turned off on the 4th floor overnight which helps save electricity.
• Recycling: Recycling bins are located around the school with guides on where to recycle different things. Recycling bins for paper only, cups only, and plastic are everywhere. 
• Teach: We teach the younger grades about sustainability and why it is important. We hope they will carry on this knowledge until after they graduate and will continue to teach younger generations about this. 
• Guides: Posted recycling and composting guides are stationed around the school
• Eliminating Food Waste: Calhoun’s minimal food waste is donated to soup kitchens. Vegetable stems are reused for soups and other types of food, and vegetarian and vegan meals are also becoming a bigger part of the weekly menus. Produce is locally sourced from local greenmarkets, and the main food vendor, Lancaster Farms, values sustainability in farming.

1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals die every year from plastic pollution in our oceans. Only 9% of all plastic ever made has been recycled. 

By using eco-friendly products, you can reduce or eliminate your single plastics use, which makes a change. 

Want some easy things you can do to be more environmentally friendly?

• Buy a reusable coffee cup—and use it for all your drinks. If you bought a plastic bottle, you can reuse that a couple of times as well before recycling it! By doing this, you alone can save 156 plastic bottles a year. 
• Use reusable grocery bags, and use those for all shopping. You can also reuse what you already have! If you have a plastic bag that you may have used, reuse it instead of throwing it away! Buying a reusable bag is not the only solution to saving plastic. By doing this, you alone can save 307 plastic bags a year. 
• Reuse your paper masks—you can wear them for 2-3 days! When you are finished, cut the straps to prevent the trash getting tangled around any marine animals. You can also wear fabric masks that are washable and reusable!
• Upcycle/donate clothes: Instead of throwing out clothes, donate them to your local goodwill or thrift store, or to wearable collections which will upcycle your clothes into other items/new clothing. 
• Recycle everything possible: Terracycle is a resource to apply for boxes so you can “recycle the unrecyclable”. Link located in the resources tab. 
• Shop sustainably: Check out the resources tab for some ideas on places to shop for sustainable products!

August: Biodegradable, plastic-free menstrual products 

Onya: 48 eco-friendly every day items

Lancaster Farm: Calhoun’s main food vendor 

Wearable Collections: Organization that recycles/upcycles old clothing

Terracycle: Organization that helps you recycle items that can’t go in regular recycling bins