Going green is an everyday practice for the students at Las Cruces Academy – a small private school in Mesilla with 31 students, 4 paid employees and 2 full time volunteers. This school has taken environmental friendly practices and put them to use in every school day. “The goal,” says Director Lou Ellen Kay, “is teaching smart habits from a young age.”
The green efforts at Las Cruces Academy merited recognition as the best of the 14 local businesses that submitted applications to the Green Chamber of Commerce to be considered for in the Sustainable Business Recognition Program.
Students who range from kindergarten to eighth grade incorporate green habits into every school day. At lunch they eat at recycled tables. After lunch, food scraps are scraped into a compost bin, recyclable items are recycled. Plastic forks and spoons and rewashed and reused. Washable cloth rags are used instead of paper towels to clean up messes. How much trash is created? Director Kay estimates the school “fills a family sized garbage container about once a month.” This is “zero waste” at its best!
Carrie Hamblen, CEO/President of the Las Cruces Green Chamber, says “We launched the Sustainable Business Recognition Program last November, opening the application process to all local businesses in Las Cruces to self-report their efforts to recycle, reuse, conserve resources, and keep money in the local economy.”
“As we continue to work with our partners at the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) on our Sustainable Business Recognition initiatives, the Green Chamber will be offering several workshops on how to ‘Go Green to Make Green’.” (For more information contact the Green Chamber at (575) 323-1575 or carrie@locallascruces.com.)
Conserving paper at Las Cruces Academy goes over and above using cloth towels. Reusable scrap paper goes into a life-sized zebra chest of drawers. “We use double sided paper, and reuse scrap paper for art projects,” explained 8th grade student Arabella.
Outside the school is a garden planted by students. Once their vegetables are harvested they get to eat them. All wooden boxes in the garden are made of recycled goods. Almost everything you find at Las cruces Academy has been reused. If they don’t have a purpose for something, they simply pass it along to be reused somewhere else.
Zero Waste is not only a “doable” concept; it’s being done right here in Las Cruces - thanks to schools like Las Cruces Academy. If your business or organization is involved in zero waste efforts, please let us know; contact Suzanne Michaels at suzanchor@aol.com.
Green Connections is submitted by the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA), managing recyclables, solid waste, and fighting illegal dumping for residents and businesses in the City of Las Cruces and Doña Ana County. You can reach the SCSWA at (575) 528-3800 or visit www.SCSWA.net