Quick and easy ways to protect the world

Carpool to school… or take the bus!

What happened to riding the big yellow school bus everyday? Seniors are an exception since they already drive with a partner, but the rest of the school seems to refrain from getting on the bus in the morning.

Opting for a ride from a parent to school may seem efficient, but when hundreds of kids take a car to school each day, it adds up. There are approximately 1124 students at West Essex, many who drive to school. We could save 562 car trips if each student carpooled in the morning. Imagine how much fuel we could save and pollution would be avoided without these daily car rides, if students just took the bus!

Print double sided, and only if it is necessary!

Chromebooks have allowed the school to take a HUGE step in helping the environment, but there is always more we can do. It is important to utilize online textbooks whenever possible, and refrain from printing. Sometimes it is absolutely necessary to print, and in these cases, it is important to print double sided. This would cut the amount of wasted paper in half, improving the school’s environmental footprint. So far, the school has reduced its paper usage by 48 percent, just with Chromebooks, so by continuing our conservation efforts we can get this number past 50 percent.

Bring reusable coffee mugs to the cafeteria!

Whether it’s before the first bell rings, between classes or during lunch, students are addicted to the freshly brewed coffee in the cafeteria. This a privilege that is widely appreciated, and although the caffeine rush benefits students and faculty, the cups they drink out of are polluting the environment through the fossil fuel emissions used to manufacture them. If everyone brought their own reusable coffee mugs, the school would reduce their large quantity of thrown-out coffee cups, while still being able to enjoy their daily drink. There are even reusable iced coffee cups, which would reduce the amount of plastic being used and discarded.