Sustainability

Breck School Environmental Sustainability Initiative

To move Breck School toward full participation in a worldwide effort to preserve the natural environment of Planet Earth, humankind’s only home, and to conserve its natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations. Mindful of the long-standing motto of the Environmental Movement – Think Globally, Act Locally – the Breck Environmental Sustainability Committee will promote environmental awareness and education at all grade levels, and will sponsor initiatives to assure that all operations of Breck School are environmentally sound.

Ground Water Awareness Week

March 7-13, 2010, is National Ground Water Awareness Week, sponsored by the National Ground Water Association. Click here to read more about keeping ground water clean, well maintenance, water testing, and well water treatment. This information is provided by the Centers for Disease Control.

Organics Recycling

Thanks to the efforts of the Sustainability Committee, Breck has received a grant from Hennepin County that is being used to introduce school-wide organic recycling. The grant comes from the 2009 Waste Abatement Incentive Fund, and it was awarded on December 10, 2009.

Ecotips

1. Fluorescent Light Bulbs: Did you know that it is illegal to throw fluorescent light bulbs in the trash?
Hopefully you use fluorescent light bulbs in your home, as they are more energy efficient so they last longer (saving you money) and are better for the environment, if disposed of correctly. Most contain mercury, which is very dangerous to humans and the environment when accumulated in ground water. Please use your local drop off facility to help safely recycle these items.

Any non-incandescent light bulbs are accepted at these Hennepin County facilities. Proof of residency required (MN driver’s license or current utility bill).

• Bloomington Drop Off Facility 
• Brooklyn Park Drop Off Facility 
• Jerry’s Do-lt-Best; 5025 Excel Blvd, St. Louis Park; 952-927-9701
• Hamel Building Center; 18710 Hwy 55, Plymouth; 763-478-6601
• Deakyne’s TruValu; 17507 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka; 952-475-1220
  

See http://www.hennepinatoz.org/azguide/item/96 for details on Fluorescent light bulbs, and http://www.hennepinatoz.org for more information on easy ways to reuse, reduce, and recycle more at home and it your workplace.

2. Spent Batteries: Not sure where to recycle spent batteries?
Batteries should not be thrown in the garbage because they contain heavy metals and other potentially dangerous components that can pollute the environment, not to mention they would take centuries to decompose.

These are a few common sites (to recycle your spent batteries):

• Most City Halls in Hennepin County as well as most county libraries collect used batteries (rechargeable, button, and non-rechargeable) to be recycled. 
• All Best Buy stores take rechargeable batteries
• All Sears Auto Stores take car batteries
• These Hennepin County drop-off facilities take all types of batteries:
• Bloomington Drop-Off Facility 
• Brooklyn Park Drop-Off Facility 
  

Please visit the website http://www.hennepinatoz.org/azguide/item/30 for more detailed information about how and where to safely recycle your used batteries.

3. Caps Off with Girl Scouts
The project partners Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys with AVEDA to collect plastic bottle caps that cannot be recycled in traditional plastic recycling methods. AVEDA gives a second life to the caps by making tops for future products. Please begin collecting caps at home and in the office and give them to a local troop.

Acceptable plastic caps include ones from water bottles, soda bottles, facial cleansers, laundry detergent, ketchup, shampoo/conditioner, etc. Caps that are NOT included are any metal caps and any "snap fit" plastic caps, such as margarine or cottage cheese caps.

4. Happy Belated America Recycles Day!
In case you didn’t know, Sunday November 15th was America Recycles Day. In honor of this attempt to raise awareness about recycling in our lives, here are some questions for you to consider:

• Do I recycle all I can at curbside? If you're not sure, explore http://www.rethinkrecycling.com to learn what things that can and can't be recycled.
• Do you recycle old cell phones, VCRs, and other electronic equipment? It is against Minnesota law to put them in the garbage, so if you're not sure where to recycle them, visit the “Rethink Recycling” electronics pages to learn how.
• What about in the bathroom, laundry room, home office--do you have a receptacle there to collect toothpaste boxes, laundry detergent bottles, and office paper?
  

Please see the America Recycles Day website for more ideas and details.

5. Fun Facts about our impact on the earth
There is so much we all can do, and we should be doing all we can. Recycling alone helps conserve natural resources, reduce greenhouse gases, create jobs, and reduce our taxes! Our efforts now to recycle everything we're able to will ensure a healthier environment, better water supply, and more health and wealth for all of us and future generations. Some of the benefits we see now, that will only continue to increase:

• Recycling one ton (2,000 lbs.) of paper saves 7,000 gallons of water.
• Recycling in Minnesota reduces emissions equal to taking 2.3 million cars off the road.
• Over 19,000 jobs have already been created in the recycling industry in Minnesota.
• Each year, the recycling industry contributes over $64 million in taxes, which help pay for our public services.
  

Facts courtesy of http://www.rethinkrecycling.com. See the site for more details.

6. Upcoming Compostable Bags Requirement
If the end of Fall has you buying more traditional black plastic bags for your yard waste — take note! Beginning January 1, 2010, residents in the Twin Cities area will be required to put their yard waste (leaves, plants, grass clippings, tree branches…) out for pickup in compostable bags: that means either paper bags or the new compostable plastic bags. Compostable plastic bags are distinct because they are usually clear or a green-tinted opaque color. Most home improvement, grocery, and hardware stores now carry them. If you don't see them at your local store, be sure to ask, as many stores as still learning about this requirement. So, if you need new bags for your yard work this Fall, why not get a head start and buy the compostable ones? Once January 1, 2010 rolls around, your yard waste pick-up service will no longer take the non-compostable plastic bags that you worked so hard to fill - and it's illegal in Minnesota to place yard waste in the trash, so keep your eyes peeled for compostable plastic bags and make the switch today!

7. Other Handy tips

• Look for products marked with "Post-Consumer Content" and "Recycled Content." When items say "made from recycled paper," it is not necessarily paper from someone’s recycling bin that is being reused, but more often scraps from around the paper factory or something. Post-Consumer Content means that it actually contains the paper you put in your recycling bin.
  
• Computer printer paper, notebooks, paper towels, toilet paper, plastic products, and many other household items can be found that are made from at least partially recycled materials.
• Reusable bags
• Rather than using paper or plastic disposal bags, use reusable bags instead. Recycling is good, but reusing and reducing in the first place is even better.
• Stop getting "junk mail"
• Don't let paper be wasted on mail that you do not want anyway. Just call the customer service number printed on the catalog or advertisement and ask to be removed from the mailing list. You can also use http://www.catalogchoice.org/, which lets you decide what you receive in your mailbox.