While we’re waiting around for our federal and state governments to pass effective environmental protection legislation, we can take a lot of action locally and leave a huge impact on the planet. The best changes are local and that’s where people are truly empowered.
1. Eliminate bottled water. Instead of buying cases of bottled water for functions, invest in a 2 or 5 gallon beverage dispenser. Instead of selling bottled water at concession stands, sell team logo water bottles that players and families can reuse–or find a donor to supply them to your local teams at the ballpark or soccer field at the start of the season.
2. Make the environment part of your organization’s mission. Host a trash pick-up day at school or at your public park as an event and follow it up with a potluck picnic. Invite families to plant a tree or flower in a public park–a lot of nurseries will donate supplies for free or little cost. When people invest themselves in a place by cleaning it up and beautifying it, they’re more likely to keep it looking nice. Adopt an abandoned lot or stretch of road for an annual garbage pick up. Ask your city council if abandoned properties might be better used as community garden space. After each game, ask your Little League players to leave the ball diamond looking nicer than when they arrived.
3. Raise money through environmentally friendly fund raisers. Instead of selling more “stuff,” sell consumable things like soy candles, garden plants, or birdseed. Sell services like babysitting at a kiddie corral. Sell your labor–lawn care, window washing, car washing, gutter cleaning. Service fundraisers have little or no overhead, meaning 90% profit or more for your club or organization.
4. Keep your fundraising local. Contact local shops and manufacturers and sell their products instead of catalog goods made in China and shipped out of California. There’s a cheesemaker down the road? Find out if they’ll sell coupons for certain items and share the profits with your group. There’s a grocery store? Ask if they’ll let you have a hamburger or chicken barbeque stand by their entrance on a Saturday–and help supply you with charcoal, buns and meat. Invite local crafters sell their products at a fair and collect an admission or booth fee–combined with concessions and some local entertainment (magician, musician, kid talent show) and you’ll have a fun day everyone can enjoy and profit from. Host a dessert buffet with local restaurants participating.
5. Reuse supplies from year to year. Most kids have more team t-shirts than they know what to do with. Collect them at the end of the season and store them for next year’s players. Hold a collection drive for used and outgrown equipment–shin guards, balls, bats, and shoes and distribute the gear to coaches and players at a tournament or the first week of practice.
6. Reduce your organization’s use of paper by communicating via email or website. You’ll also save money on postage.
7. Double your efforts by working with another organization and increasing your manpower while not adding events to your calendar. A high school sports team doesn’t have concession sales during their games or tournament? Ask them if they’ll profit share if your group works their event. Split the popcorn and Gatorade sales 50-50 (or 30-70) and both organizations benefit. A local theater production might desire concessions made available at intermission. PTA members might enjoy cheap onsite childcare while attending a meeting. Enviro-Girl would gladly pay a group of Girl Scouts or National Honor Society inductees to babysit her younger children at a kiddie corral while watching her oldest play his Little League games.
Suggesting one “green” method for fundraising or managing your organization can send a BIG message to others and make a SIGNIFICANT change in your environmental impact.
EXCELLENT suggestions all around.
My Brownies are actually doing their environment badge right now. We are learning about the environment in our own town, going on a walk to the nearest recycling point (in the car park of the pub Jen’s Pete went to) and learning about local wildlife to illustrate exactly who and what we are saving when we live a more responsible life.