Waste Reduction

Waste-Free Lunch. In addition to encouraging healthy, lifelong eating habits, we teach our students to help preserve the planet by recycling, composting, and packing “no waste” lunches. Our lunch guidelines recommend a reusable lunch box, reusable food containers and flatware, and cloth napkins.

Recycling and reusing materials. Students reuse materials whenever possible and every classroom has recycling bins for paper and plastic/glass.

Often before purchasing new items, we search for used ones that would meet our needs.

Eliminating disposables. Children use washable plates, utensils and glassware instead of paper or plastic for their daily snack. Parents are encouraged to bring class snacks to school in reusable bags; many classrooms have a dedicated snack bag that gets sent home to the weekly snack family.

Our elementary students surveyed the daily trash and realized that paper towels take up more space in our trash cans than any other single element. Our Primary and Elementary classrooms participate in the Reusable Towel Program, in which each student is given a hand towel to use for the day. Based on success in the classrooms, MSNV staff use small towels in their bathrooms as well.