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How to go green - back to school

How to go green - back to school

By Dawn Kubicek on 10th September, 2010

Now that summer is over and the days have started shortening the retail overload and purchasing is still in mid-swing for back to school materials. Stocks of pens, pencils and paper are still flying out the shops ready for the years learning and teaching.

So, how do you manage to start and continue a green-orientated school year after your green summer? There is no denying that we all relate going back to school with buying a lot of new things. Research shows that an average family with children spends around £459 on back to school purchases. Some of us may see it as a new, clean start - a bit like New Year - but these inspirations come with a lot of stuff so it is important to not overstate your goals.

Your green behaviour and preparation needs to be extended, making sure it lasts the full year. For example, every ton of paper (220,000 sheets) that is recycled saves 17 trees. For scale, the average school disregards 38 tons of paper -- the equivalent of 644 trees -- each year, so purchasing recycled paper, and making sure that it gets recycled again can make a big difference.

Getting yourself and your children prepared for the new school year is a challenge but keeping the environment and recycling in mind will help your green activities.

Recycled and sustainable materials are used for Decorated Shed’s school buildings and garden studios. High performance energy efficient insulation leaves the buildings with little need for heating, cutting down your overall energy costs. The buildings act as insulators which adapt to the external climate no matter what the season. Premium doors and windows are double-glazed and laminated also acting as a barrier reducing heating costs. Combining your green behaviour with a Decorated Shed building will have lasting effects on the environment.


Category:  Environment

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