Earth Day 2020
Today, April 22, is Earth Day. At Aprendamos, we are investing in our future. One way we are doing this is through our Going Green Initiative. Over the last several years, we have significantly reduced the amount of paper our programs use. We make it a point to remind each other about turning off lights when the room is not in use. If we forget to turn off the lights, in some of our facilities, we’ve installed automatic light switches that turn off when no one is in the room. We also use energy-efficient light bulbs in our buildings. At our facilities, we use water-efficient landscaping, which incorporates plants that are native and require less water along with water-efficient toilets. We also have built our newer buildings with metal roofs, and reflective We are working on getting each facility as efficient as possible.
We also try to shop locally to reduce the carbon footprint associated with mailing packages. From large print orders printed locally to coffee for our facilities from local coffee shops, we are committed to shopping local.
We have also committed to using reusable plates, bowls, and cutlery in our facilities, which has significantly reduced the amount of single-use paper/plastic plates and cutlery we use.
We hope you and your family will consider your carbon footprint. Here are a few ways to reduce your carbon footprint.
- Reduce. Reduce the amount of plastic your family consumes by using reusable bags.
- Reuse. Use a reusable water bottle, plates, and cutlery.
- Lights. Turn off the lights when no one is in the room. Also, use power cords that can be shut off when you leave. And using energy-efficient light bulbs can reduce your carbon footprint and save you money.
- Buy locally. Coffee, meat, and vegetables that are grown and produced locally reduce your carbon footprint significantly rather than buying food that has been shipped miles.
- Waste Less. According to a NY Times article, Americans waste about 40% of the food they buy. Only buy the amount of food your need. Properly freeze leftover food and be wary of bulk food items. The price may be lower, but not if you are throwing the food away.
We hope you all have a great Earth Day. Together, we are investing in our future.