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QUICK TIPS AND TRICKS
Here are some earth friendly things you can do to help conserve and keep our planet clean and safe for all living things! Many of these tips have been sent in by other PLANET PALS like you. If you have some ideas-please EMAIL them to us. Remember every LITTER bit helps!
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One mans trash is another man's treasure!
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Things to do with Styrofoam, cans, boxes or other containers:
Make fun containers for your crayons and other things, paint them or cover them.
Make a bank for your money
Make containers and packaging for presents at Christmastime or birthdays, paint them or cover them, use the persons name in your design!
Use them to organize things in your drawers like erasers and pencils.
Use them for plant pots
Be an artist, make them into sculptures
Make your own toys
Make musical instruments
Be an architect, make an interesting dollhouse from large and small containers
Design furniture from smaller containers for your house!
Make tunnels and other things to play with your trucks cover a box in old stamps and use it for letters from pen pals
Make a bird house and feed the birds
Make a mobile-see if you can get it to balance!
Make puppets and make a playhouse, use old cloth or paper for the curtain, and clothes.
Make wind chimes
Make styrofoam or cardboard stencils |
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Things to do with paper, gift wrap or cardboard:
Use it to cover and protect your schoolbooks
Make your own paper dolls be a fashion designer and design doll clothes
Cover the walls in your dollhouse with gift wrap for wallpaper
Use bags or newspaper particularly colorful comics, for gift wrap....
Use old gift wrap, comics or wallpaper to cover boxes or cans
Use the back side of bags or gift wrap as practice paper for painting or studying the alphabet
Use your practice paintings as gift wrap-they can be colorful and special!
Cut it in squares and use it to make origami
Make a book, or album - paper pages and cardboard cover-use string or ribbon to tie it together
Make homemade paper....we will be posting the recipe for paper soon-you can also get it from the library!
Make paper mache projects-we will be posting the recipe for paper mache soon-you can also get it from the library! |
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Other things to do:
Use old clothes to make a soft pillow bed for your pet
Make pillows for your room
Make pull string bags from pant legs or sleeves-quick and easy!
Use old rags to clean your room or paint with
Everyone has mismatched socks-make sock puppets!
Make decorations from old leaves and pine cones or branches
Decorate containers, candles, bottles or books,
with dried flowers, cones or leaves, tie with a ribbon and give as a gift
Make tree ornaments for Christmas with nature or small discarded
items and containers
Make your own Paper!
Cover your schoolbooks in interesting papers.
Visit the recycle center in your town and see what else can be recycled.
Collect from your family and friends and take them to the recycle center.
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Global Re-Leaf:
Plant a tree or wildflowers
Grow herbs indoors or out
Save seeds from this years flowers and plant them next year
Recycle and Reuse:
Make a compost pile with biodegradable garbage such as scraps from fruit and vegetables (remember no meat!)
When it turns to compost-use it in a garden.
Recycle water by reusing it to water plants.
Have your mom save coffee can and Styrofoam containers and donate them to school for crafts.
Or Use them to make CRAFTY things for yourself or gifts.
Save old newspapers and roll them into logs.
Feed the birds suit (fat)
Feed the ducks old bread. Itís fun and it can be a nice day trip!
For Christmas get a real tree with roots and plant it in the Spring. |
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Conserve and Preserve:
Dress warm to use less heat . Dress cool to use less air conditioning
Close doors and windows tight, so heat or ac does not seep out.
Donít leave the refrigerator door open decide what you wan to eat before you open it!
Turn of lights and appliances right after you Finnish with them
Take shorter showers.
Take baths instead of showers (you use less water) |
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Don't throw it all away:
Never throw things away unless you use a trash container
If you see trash on the street-pick it up and throw it in a trash barrell,
Set a good example for your friends.
Remind your friends that every LITTER BIT HURTS
Organize a clean up day near your school with classmates
The next time something is broken try to repair it instead of replacing it
When you no longer need a toy or clothing, give it away to someone who can use it
Have a yard sale with your family or friends.
Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.
Use cloth towels instead of Paper towels.
Buy recycled paper products whenever possible.
Use paper instead of plastic.
Make a cloth lunchbox, or use a store bought one to replace paper bags.
Great Ideas for Back to school
Take your lunch in a reusable lunch box, or cloth bag instead of paper bags..
Recycle any packaging in your lunch box.
Pack a cloth napkin instead of paper one. You can reuse it! Just count all your school days...that's how many paper napkins you saved. Cover your books in recycled paper bags or wrap...decorate them yourself, they could look fun and you might start a trend!
Use up last years school supplies before you buy new ones.
Use the reverse side of scrap paper for your first drafts of writing, art and math projects.
Keep a "craft box" of discards you think might be handy for class projects during the year...mark it "my craft box" so noone will mistake it for trash! Keep things like empty
yogurt containers,elastics, string etc...that might interesting and useful for your art.
Take the bus or Car pool with friends...have your mom's take turns...It's fun to go to school in groups and you save lots of gas!.
Ask your teacher to put up Planetpals recycle kits posters to remind everyone at school about recycling.
Click here for more recycle ideas for everyday
Gas Saving Tips:
Combine errands, and trips.
Service your car it will keep it at peak performance
Go lightly on the gas pedal
Don't pump your brakes
Don't idle for long periods of time
Don't use drive up windows...park and drive in
Empty the car and trunk of extra items
Put items in the trunk instead of your roof
Drive 55 mph instead of 65 (you save 15%!)
Don't use your air conditioning
Use your 5th gear whenever possible
Keep your tires properly inflated
Buy a Fuel Saver of some kind
Use the lowest octane gas
Don't rev your engine
Energy Saving Tips:
Always turn off the lights when not in use
Use natural daylight as much as possible
Make sure all doors are closed tightly
Don't leave doors open longer than it takes to get in or out
Use the automatic setting on your thermostat
Use alternative sources of heat some of the time
Wear warm clothes and you can keep the thermostat lower
Don't open the refrigerator door more than you need to
Read books instead of watching TV or playing electronic games
Don't leave computers, televisions or other appliances on when not in use
Don't put furniture or large objects such as toys in front of radiators
Cover the bottom of doors where air comes in with a rug or door guard
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