Hey Haigers - it's Recycling Time!

Neferty Amooyan

Features

So, what does Eco Council really do around the school? Hana Imany, Eco Council’s president for this year, describes a few of the many Eco Council initiatives. They’ve been expanding the school’s vegetable garden, offering presentations to grade nine and ten students, preparing to hang birdhouses outside school, and potting plants in classes, along with trying to minimize lunch waste and energy consumption. Eco Council’s goal is to reduce students’ carbon footprint through education and involvement in eco-friendly decisions.

One of their more recent events, a craft recycling event, encompasses both of Eco Council’s goals. Members of Eco Council found, cleaned, and repurposed waste around the school for participants to use to create their own crafts, like a bag or toy pig. Hana says “the event allowed students to get creative and use their imagination to turn everyday items, like plastic bottles and containers, into something new and useful.” It is a far better alternative to plastic ending up in our oceans, and will hopefully inspire students to make more “eco-friendly choices” at school.

But reducing your carbon footprint requires environmentally friendly choices outside of school, too. Hana offers a list of a few things you can do to reduce waste consumption:

• Only buy what you absolutely need.

• Only turn on lights when needed and use energy-efficient appliances.

• Use reusable materials instead of single-use products.

• Incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet.

• Recycle properly whenever possible.

• Purchase high-quality products, and repair items instead of replacing them.

• Compost food waste to make soil.

• Participate in local politics (peaceful protests, contacting elected officials, supporting environmentally-friendly policies, etc.) involving the environment.

Hana mentions it is important to realize that abiding by every point on this list all the time is practically impossible: “No one can be perfect when it comes to being environmentally friendly,” though trying your best goes a long way. The final point, in particular, always goes a long way: Taking part in local politics relating to the environment is essential for sending a message to politicians and other civilians alike. Participating in a movement—even just sharing a link online—can contribute to a massive positive impact on our environment. So bring a reusable bag the next time you visit Loblaws, or bring a waste-free lunch tomorrow. Like Hana says, “every little effort can make a big impact in the long run.”