Whether you call them juice boxes, drink pouches, Capri Suns, or something else, those squeezable little containers tend to pop up everywhere from the school cafeteria to youth soccer games. And while they’re great at quenching thirst, they’re not so great for the environment.
Fortunately, there’s now an easy way to upcycle (that is, converting useless materials into usable ones) these and other lunchbox staples while raising money for your fave nonprofit.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

If bagging groceries at the supermarket or carting around your neighbor’s kids in a minivan doesn’t sound like your idea of a fun summer job, consider this. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful is currently taking applications from local high school students for its Youth Tree Team. The nine-week summer program, taking place every Monday through Thursday, June 7 through August 5, teaches teens the art and science of preserving and maintaining trees through watering, mulching, pruning, and staking. In exchange, participants earn $8 per hour and are provided with free daily lunch. But that’s not all, kids. KIB knows that all work and no play makes for a dull summer vacation. So they’ve built in cool activities — rafting on the White River, training at an adventure course, even a camping trip — to up the ante. Sound like a sweet gig? It is. So, to ensure that they get the best and brightest, KIB has designed a rigorous four-step application process to weed out the best candidates. Here’s how it works.

1. Register at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful by March 5.
2. Stump the competition, so to speak, in a fun obstacle course on Challenge Day, taking place from 10 a.m. to noon on March 6 at KIB Headquarters.
3. Exhibit your tree-planting prowess by volunteering at an event on April 3 from 9 a.m. to noon.
4. If you’re still standing, KIB will invite you in for an interview on Sunday, April 25.

It’s a dirty job, green teens, but someone’s gotta do it. Make the cut, and you’re likely to return to school with improved job and financial management skills, the satisfaction of knowing that you helped make a difference for the planet, and maybe even a tan.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Last year’s fitness goals fell by the wayside. Attempts to tame your inbox tanked miserably in the first week. But if your New Year’s resolution is to be a little greener, we know of a fun way to do your part while also learning something new. Consider enrolling in one of the following eco-themed classes in 2010.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Your daughter may be a straight A student, but if you’re idling in the parking lot when you pick her up from school, what is she learning about taking care of the planet? You don’t have to be at the head of the class to ace Being Green 101. Simply study our crib notes below.

OUT: Dumping last year’s unused school supplies in the garbage and buying brand new ones.
IN: Reusing what you can (folders, binders, half-full notebooks, etc.) and recycling everything else. Recycle used paper at an Abitibi Paper Retriever. Donate gently used educational supplies to Teacher’s Treasures, which benefits at-risk Central Indiana schoolchildren. When it’s absolutely necessary to buy new supplies, look for pencils, pens, and paper products made from recycled materials. For green office supplies for grown-ups, check out the pretty, planet-friendly items from See Jane Work.

OUT: Dropping off your child in your SUV, then idling in the parking lot after school as you wait for them to be dismissed.
IN: Walking, biking, or taking the bus to school. Or, form a neighborhood carpool. Any of these are better for the planet than driving to school with just one passenger.

OUT: Sending your kid to school a disposable lunch tote full of plastic zipper bags and plastic wrap.
IN: Toting a reusable lunchbox and food storage containers, which practically pay for themselves. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Broad Ripple’s Marigold is giving away free insulated lunch totes and water bottles to customers who make a purchase of $100 or more (while supplies last).

OUT: Selling frozen cookie dough to pay for the drama club’s production of Romeo & Juliet.
IN: Supporting our local environment and economy while raising money with Green Fundraising Indiana.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Okay, not just yet. But in mere weeks, children all over the Indianapolis area will shut their textbooks, clean out their desks, cubbies, and lockers; and head home for the most glorious three months of the year. Before they do, we have one easy classroom recycling suggestion to make, one eco-friendly school to applaud, and two others on the way to celebrate. Gold stars all around!

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan