Clean air curriculum for going back to school—learn what you can do to go green, breathe clean

Morning | Afternoon | Green School Supplies & Wardrobe | All Year

Try a new way to get to school

Encourage your child to walk or bike to school. Worried about safety? Walk or bike with them. You'll save fuel while getting your daily dose of exercise.

Take the bus. School buses hold dozens of children, making them a cleaner option than single-occupancy cars.

Try a school carpool if walking, biking or riding the bus is not an option. Talk to parents in your neighborhood about a rotating carpool.

Turn your engine off while waiting for school to let out

Don't idle. Turn off your car while waiting for kids to get out of school. Idling increases the amount of pollution your car puts into the air. Breathing in this pollution isn’t good for anyone, especially kids.

Report smoking vehicles. A smoking vehicle is one that has smoke billowing out of the tailpipe. By reporting a smoking vehicle, you are helping to eliminate unhealthy particles of exhaust smoke from the air we breathe.

You can report smoking vehicles by either calling #SMOKE (#76653) from most wireless phones or filling out the Smoking Vehicle Reporting Form online.

Go green to save green on school supplies

Take inventory before buying new school supplies. Many parents don’t realize a lot of supplies can be found in their own homes. Look at what you can reuse from the last school year before buying new supplies. 

Seek out recycled supplies. Many local stores are stocking pens, pencils, rulers, notebooks, and binders made from recycled newspaper, denim, and even money.  Can’t find eco-friendly supplies in your local store?  A quick search online can turn up multitudes of green back-to-school products. 

Use supplies wisely. Make sure kids write on both sides of paper and fill notebooks from cover to cover before purchasing a new one.  Also encourage kids to use pens until they run out of ink and sharpen pencils until they become too small to write with.

Only buy what you need. Don't be tempted by the better deal. If a supply isn’t going to be used every day, such as glue or map pencils, think twice about stocking up at the beginning of the year.

In style for back-to-school wardrobes: green

Save a lot of money by shopping second hand. Consignment shops and garage sales are a good way to find gently used, stylish clothing. Choosing recycled clothing is not only good for the environment; it’s great on your wallet.

Choose sustainable fabrics. If you must buy new clothing, choose durable fabrics such as organic cotton or bamboo. Being environmentally friendly never goes out of style.

Continue making clean air choices all year

Greening your back to school experience is a great way to start the year, and an even better way to jumpstart a green lifestyle. Making simple changes today will make for a cleaner tomorrow for your children. Go green. Breathe clean.