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Everyone knows that reducing waste is a good idea, but is your school doing all that it can? You can reduce waste by reusing and recycling the basic materials that are used in school everyday. Waste reduction is important because it helps us protect our natural resources, protects our forests, and reduces the amount of garbage we put in landfills, or burn in incinerators. Focusing on this issue area will help your school improve its waste reduction and recycling programs, purchase products made from recycled materials, and reuse materials. |
Air pollution is not limited to the outdoors. In fact, the quality of the air we breathe indoors is often worse than outdoor air. When polluted with mildew, dust, or mold, poor indoor air can cause students and school staff to suffer from asthma, headaches, rashes, and sometimes more serious illnesses. By improving maintenance practices and air circulation in your school, indoor air pollution can be reduced. Focusing on this issue area will help your school uncover any existing indoor air quality problems so that they may be addressed, and provide you and your school with tips for avoiding future indoor air quality problems. |
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Pesticides and herbicides kill bothersome insects, rodents and weeds, but scientists have found that they are harmful to humans as well. Some chemicals in pesticides can cause cancer and learning disabilities in children. Focusing on this issue area will help your school switch to a less toxic way to control pests called "Integrated Pest Management," fends off pests, but is healthier for people and the environment. |
Many everyday products you find in schools actually contain toxic chemicals that can be harmful to people, and damaging to the environment. These can include certain cleaning and maintenance products that are frequently used at your school. Focusing on this issue area will help your school examine what products are being used, and if those products pose any risk to students, staff, or the environment. If so, this issue area will help you find replacement products that are effective, non-toxic and do not damage the environment. |
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The Green Flag Program is a project of the national Child Proofing Our Communities Campaign, coordinated by the Center for Health Environment and Justice.