Governor Shumlin recently signed S.92, a green-cleaning bill that has made it mandatory that the cleaning products used in schools around Vermont be environmentally friendly and safe. With so many cleaning products affecting the physical, and reproductive health, of students and faculty alike, this bill is a giant step in the right direction. It protects people and the environment with equal commitment and fervor.

The bill extends to many different types of cleaners, some of which are more obvious than others. Air fresheners and pesticides are banned, as well as “cleaning products” and all the chemicals that typical products entail within their composition.

The state places an emphasis on green cleaning products that are preferred to the typical products the schools use, and the EPA guidelines for preferred products are to be outlined, implemented, regulated, and researched by the state. Staff will be trained to understand the importance of these products as well, and schools will have to report their progress with adherence to the guidelines. A website will outline potential risks of non-safe cleaning products, and will explain the benefits of using safer products, and how to integrate them into schools and beyond.

Vermont is at the forefront of many green movements, and this bill is not exception. It makes Vermont the one of the first states to pass a mandate for schools to maintain better and safer cleaning practices. There are only 5 other states in the U.S. that have similar mandates.  

Along with keeping students, teachers, and faculty safe and more eco-friendly, safer cleaning products also means better reproductive health. The most harmful ingredients in these products are the carcinogens, neurotoxins, and endocrine disruptors. For women, these can cause different types of cancers, harmful birth defects, and can also affect reproductive and hormone health. For mothers and fathers, the threat is even worse-as their children are exposed to these chemicals, they accumulate in the body and often affect them at a greater rate because children are smaller, and have weaker immune systems. Many parents have questions about green cleaning, but the emerging research and answers outline that it is effective and a better alternative to toxic chemicals in schools.

This bill is a paramount success for Vermont. It has ensured the safety of our environment, and the health of the people that go to and work within Vermont state schools every day. It will lessen issues with reproductive health for many of the young girls and boys in Vermont schools, and will give mothers and fathers the satisfaction that they are sending their kids to an environmentally friendly, non-toxic place to learn and absorb knowledge-not chemicals.

Hey Parents…September is right around the corner and the time has come for back-to-school shopping! Take this year as an opportunity to green your back-to-school shopping and teach your kids the importance of recycling and using environmentally friendly products.

1. Make a list before you shop – Instead of buying all new supplies, take a look around the house and make sure that you don’t have anything from the year before that could be reused. 
2. Buy necessities, not gimmicks – Stick to buying the must haves and what is on the school supply lists provided by teachers.
3. Buy in bulk – When getting supplies, buy in larger amounts to cut down on the amount of packaging used as well as limiting the number of trips to the store for more pens which cuts back on pollution as well.
4. Look for products made of recycled or eco-friendly materials –Eco-conscious items are available in many stores, or you can look online for companies that offer green school supplies.

-          Smencils offers pens and pencils made of recycled materials, TreeSmart is another great option

-          Stores like Staples offers notebooks with paper made of sugarcane, New Leaf Paper is another green distributor to check out this fall

1. Be green for school lunch - Get your kids a reusable cloth or metal lunchbox. Many plastic lunchboxes may contain PVC or BPA, two chemicals that are toxic and harmful to our and your children’s health.

-          Citizenpip is a fun company that offers fun chemical-free lunchboxes that even come with color-coordinated accessories.

-          Laptop lunches also offers metal lunch boxes with partitions perfect for the picky eater!

1. Need a new backpack? – Backpacks are usually made from manmade fibers and plastics, that are harmful to the environment. 

-          This year go for the green options like the PETE backpack which is made from recycled plastic.

-          Another sustainable and cute option for kids comes from Beatrix.

 For more reading…

http://ecohearth.com/eco-zine/kids-and-family/834-the-green-abcs-a-sustainable-back-to-school-guide.html  
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5704436/sustainable_backtoschool_supplies_pg2.html?cat=25   
http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/documents/Back%20to%20School%20Guide%20to%20PVC%20Free%20School%20Supplies.
 http://www.theultimategreenstore.com/s-224-bags-backpacks.aspx
http://www.ehow.com/how_4495492_choose-school-supplies.html

Getting ready for the big freshman year move-in day was a long, long process.  I can recall multiple trips to Bed, Bath & Beyond with my mother.  Linens & Things, Target, Marshalls… we must have visited every home department store in every strip mall in New Jersey—twice. 

Looking back, that process seems totally crazy—all the waste involved, the extra boxes, the stress, the last minute buys, the MONEY… New students are excited, parents don’t want to forget anything—it can be easy to lose sight of the simple, easy, and green tricks that cut down on stress, cost, and waste, and are less taxing on the environment. 

Here are some of our favorite tips for greening your college dormitory:

1. Reuse: Don’t mind your old bedding? Bring it with you! Stores advertise specific products like “desk lamps” and “bed lamps,” but if you’ve got any sort of lamp that works at home, it’ll work at school, too!
2. Get crafty: If you hate those old sheets, but need some curtains—try recycling the fabric! Hate the color of your old desk? Get together with some friends and paint it a color you do like.
3. Shop locally: If you do need to buy some things for your dorm, buy them locally! Don’t ship anything when you can purchase those same items from a store in your college area.
4. Organic alternatives: Absolutely just hate your comforter and refuse to take it to school? Check out Moss Envy or a local eco-home store for organic fabrics.
5. Energy efficient lighting: use compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent—it saves energy, will last you much longer, and is more cost effective!
6. Energy efficient appliances: microwaves, mini-refrigerators…you’re going to need some snacks for your late-night studying, make sure your appliances are as efficient as possible. Check out Energystar—you can find their products at most appliance store locations.
7. Use a power strip: Power strips can be plugged into one outlet and then with one click of the button all electronics can be turned off when you leave!
8. Recycling: Bring a bin or box to keep recycling in—you can keep it under your desk or by the door, so that when it comes time to clean your room your waste will already be sorted!

Good luck, and have fun designing your new college living space! And always remember to unplug what you’re not using and turn out your lights when you leave…!