Recycling Committee update

Keeping it green
First things first: Garibaldi parents get a big pat on their back for keeping the lunch packs really green! Most lunches come now to school in washable and reusable Tupperware-type containers, paper bags, which can be composted or recycled, and cloth bags, which can be washed and reused.
If you have never heard of cloth lunch bags, please, see the web-sites below for some really groovy cloth lunch bags. It’s super easy to do and your kids will be proud of having helped to make these!
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2007/11/november-4-lunch-bags/
http://www.marthastewart.com/271881/oilcloth-crafts-lunch-bags

Making it even greener
To make our lunch time even greener, we would like to encourage all parents to send drinks to school in reusable containers. Each child would have a drink container, which can be filled at home with just the right amount of drink needed for the day, washed out in the evening and used again and again, day after day. Lunch monitors will be really happy, once they don’t have to empty juice box after juice box into the sink at the end of lunch as they currently do!

School yard litter
We are happy to report that our trash can has returned to the school yard and is happy to take care of your trashy needs, while at school. It should help us to keep the school yard litter-free. Thanks to all the parents who were helping during our trash can’s absence to pick up the litter!
We still have a cigarette butt litter problem, though. If you see any city smoking and litter by-law violations on school property, please call the police non-emergency number to report.

604-717-3321

We have been told that, if we complain enough, police officers will eventually come to hand out fines, which might be more educational than words we have shared with the violators in the past.

Classroom recycling
Mrs. Froese has ordered more recycling bins for classroom use to make sorting and recycling easier.
Kids are doing a great job!
Thank you, teachers, for supporting them!

Future initiative – your feedback is greatly appreciated
We are looking for a parent volunteer to do a run to our local East Van Bottle Depot on
2605 Kaslo Street with the school’s recyclables from lunch, probably once a month.
We will also open a school account there, to which returns from all of our Garibaldi families can be credited and used towards school supplies by PAC or teachers directly. What do you think: Should the account credit go to PAC first or directly to teachers? What should these funds be used for?
Will you be making these trips to the East Van Bottle Depot or would you welcome a school-based drive (once a month?)? The latter option would really require clean containers to be brought for return….

City’ s small appliances and other recycling programs
• You can now have your no-longer servicing small appliances recycled through the “Unplugged” program.
http://www.unpluggedrecycling.ca/
You can drop your small appliances off at “Regional Recycling Vancouver” at 960 Evans Ave. (604-689-4722) or at “East 12th Avenue Thrift Store” at 261 E. 12th Ave. (604-874-4721), if they fall under one of these categories:
- Kitchen Countertop
- Personal Care
- Floor Cleaning
- Weight Measurement
- Garment Care
- Air Treatment
- Time Measurement
- Designated Very Small Items

• For any other recyclable questions you might have, go to this easy-to-use site to find locations for drop-off:
http://www.metrovancouverrecycles.org/Pages/Residential.aspx

• The following large appliances may be dropped off free of charge at the Vancouver Landfill or at the Main Recycling Depot (377 West Kent Avenue North):
refrigerators, freezers, stoves, dishwashers, washers, dryers and microwaves.
The City will accept up to 3 appliances per day per hauler. Please note that customers are responsible for off-loading items brought to the Landfill and the Transfer Station.

• Return-It locations accept the waxy gable top and box polycoat milk cartons, which city recycling does not.