Plastic is Drastic!

Did You Know... Over 100 billion plastic bags are used every year! Do you know how many are recycled? Only 1%! Did you also know that there is a mass of trash in the Pacific Ocean that is larger than the state of Texas? Guess what it's mainly made up of? That's right--plastic. Bags, containers, bottles, wrapping, and other plastic items. Over 80% of this "trash island" are plastic products that find their way into the waterways and eventually make their way to the oceans.

And don't think that we live too far from the coast to have an impact. Trash from as far away as Iowa has been found in this Pacific Ocean mess!

So, what can you do? First, reduce your use of plastic as much as possible. Try to pick items that do not have excessive packaging. Use a reusable water bottle. Send your kids' lunch to school in reusable containers instead of plastic ziploc bags. Bring reusable bags when you shop. (If you seem to always forget your reusable bag, think about whether you really need to have a bag at all if you are only purchasing one or two items.) Second, when you do use disposable plastic items, do your best to recycle them when you are done--even if this means bringing it back home with you to place in your own bin!

We Love Coffee! (And the Earth)!

Did you know that if you go to Starbucks (or most coffee places) and plan to stay and enjoy your drink, you can request a "stay here" cup. You will get your beverage in a nice ceramic mug that not only saves paper and plastic -- and cuts down on waste, but also lends itself to a more authentic "coffee shop" experience. Try it!!

What To Do With Your CFL'S?

Hopefully, you have already replaced many of your incandescent light bulbs with the more energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL's). But did you know that there are three area businesses that will recycle your CFL's when they burn out?

Elliott's Hardware takes both broken and unbroken bulbs. Home Depot and IKEA will accept unbroken bulbs only. Regardless of where you bring them. make sure they are contained in a sealed plastic bag. CFL's do contain a small amount of mercury, which is a hazardous material. Although the amount of mercury is very small, there are specific steps you should take if a CFL breaks in your home. For more information on that procedure, visit www.plano.gov and check out the FAQs in the Environmental Waste Services section.

 Got Phone Books?

Do you get frustrated when you see yet another 5-pound book of phone listings at your front door?

While we at Harrington are eco-conscious, you may be shocked to learn that less than 10% of all phone books are recycled.

The good news is that there's a way to STOP RECEIVING these huge old dinosaurs! Go to: www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org, and click on the "Opt out" link. This is a free service, and will help to spread the message that we're serious about our environment! 

How About a New Year's GREEN Resolution?

Are you the type of person who likes New Year's resolutions? How about adding an environmental one to your list? For instance, maybe you and your family don't take full advantage of your recycling bin. Why don't you try adding one type of item to your bin each month? It could be junk mail -- or magazines -- or papers from school. Or maybe it's the plastic food and restaurant containers that Plano is now accepting? If you use plastic water bottles, consider bringing them home to recycle when you are done. If you already recycle all that you can, maybe you can commit to walking to/from school (or somewhere else) one or two days a week. Or what about replacing an incandescent bulb with a fluorescent one? Try doing one per month for a few months. The point is, there are MANY ways to live a greener life in 2009 -- just choose ONE to start and then build from there. And it's okay to start small because everyday changes really do add up. Give it a try!

FUN Events Coming Up!

We've got some exciting environmental things planned for the next several months!

The first one was introduced at last week's Spirit Assembly. The grade levels will now compete for a quarterly "Huskies Helping the Earth Award"--complete with a trophy made completely of recycled components (thank you, Mrs. Hess!). This award will be given to the grade exhibiting the most environmentally-friendly behavior
during the next nine weeks-- from classroom and organic recycling, to more responsible use of resources, to everything in between.

We want the kids to be more aware that even small changes can have a big impact. To make this contest successful, we could really use some volunteers to help us "catch" the kids showing these earth-friendly behaviors. Please email environmental@harringtonpta.net if you are interested in helping.

We are also planning to bring an environmental-themed presentation to the students in early December. It will be a puppet show production of Dr. Seuss's wonderful story, The Lorax, and it will be put on by the City of Plano. This should be an enjoyable and educational activity for all grades.

Finally, we have tentative plans to plant several trees around the playground early in 2009. Wouldn't that be wonderful?! We are currently working out the details, but this will definitely be an event that requires a lot of extra parent involvement. More to come!

Know Your "Bin Basics"!

Since the city is now accepting every number of recyclable plastic (#1-#7, except Styrofoam), you will probably notice that your recycling bin is much more full than it used to be. As a direct result, you might not be filling up your trash can very much either.

Hmmm...what can you do to maximize your recycling space and minimize your trash space?

Well, you have a few options. If your recycling can still has a divider in it (from back in the days when residents had to separate paper from other recyclables), you can call the city and they will come to your residence and remove the divider from your bin. You would be amazed at how much more you can fit in the bin without the divider. Oh, and removing the divider is done at no charge to you!

If you still don't have enough recycling room (good for you!!), you can also request a 2nd bin. The city will deliver an additional container to your house--again at no charge!

And while you are doing all this additional recycling, you can probably manage with a smaller trash can. You can trade in your 95-gallon trash can for a 68-gallon can--and save almost $4 on your monthly collection fee! And yes, once again, the carts are exchanged at your house for no charge. You can't beat it!!

Call the city at 972.769.4150 to get more information or to request any of these changes.

Great News for Recycling at Home!

I hope that all Harrington families are already taking maximum advantage of Plano's leadingedge residential recycling program. But guess what?? The program just got even BETTER!!!

Plano is now accepting ALL numbered molded plastic (#1 through #7)!

In the past, you could only recycle #1 and #2 plastics. Please note that this does not include plastic bags of any kind (even if they are #2 or #4), nor does it include Styrofoam. However, it does now include things like yogurt cups, virtually all plastic food containers from the grocery store and plastic restaurant take-out containers.

The list goes on... Just look for the numbered recycling symbol on the bottom of your container and toss it in your bin.

Way to go, City of Plano!

WANTED: ORGANIC RECYCLING HELPERS
(no experience necessary!)

Did you know Harrington students are becoming expert recyclers? Our students participate in organic recycling in the cafeteria by sorting their lunch waste and disposing of it in one of three bins: organic (food/paper/liquid), recycling (plastic milk/water bottles) and trash. This allows us to divert a significant amount of waste from the landfill to the city compost pile every day.

But with the new school year--and quite a few new students--they could use a little refresher on how to sort their waste correctly. Having a parent or two on hand for a few lunch periods to assist our wonderful custodian, Mr. Stimpson in for a few lunch period wonderful custodian, Mr. Stimpson, would make getting everyone up-to-speed on proper recycling so much easier.

Helping is easy to do, and you can have lunch with your child at the same time! To volunteer, please email Melissa Wright at environmental@harringtonpta.net. Training is quick and easy and no, this is not a 'Dirty Job'!