Let's talk TRASH! Waste can cause pollution and impact our children's health and their environment if not properly managed.

Waste Reduction and Recycling

Waste reduction is decreasing or eliminating the amount of materials initially used. Before making a purchase, if you consider what your needs are, and cut waste to begin with, you are practicing waste reduction. By thinking before you shop you can keep products and packages out of the landfill and conserve our natural resources.

Recycling is collecting and remanufacturing materials already used. Your role does not have to stop at the recycling receptacle. Take recycling to the next level by buying recycled products, reducing waste, reusing items and shopping with the environment in mind.

See Also:

• Solid Waste Activity Book
• AZ Recycles
• CDC: School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide
• Treasures for Teachers

Pollution Prevention

Pollution prevention means making changes in operational procedures, processes and improvements in housekeeping or management techniques that reduce potential or actual releases of pollutants to the overall environment (air, water and land).

• ADEQ's Recycling Information Page
• Home Medical Sharps Disposal

Pesticides

• Head lice presentation (en español)
• How pesticides affect children's health
• How children are exposed to pesticides
• How children's exposure to pesticides can be reduced
• Integrated Pest Management in Schools

Household Hazardous Wastes

• How household hazardous wastes affect children's health
• How children are exposed to household hazardous wastes
• How children's exposure to household hazardous wastes can be reduced

Green Schools

Green Schools are environmentally healthy schools. They provide healthy, comfortable, energy efficient, resource efficient, water efficient and safe environments for our children. Children are affected by environmental contaminants differently from adults, and so children typically may be more highly exposed to contaminants and are more vulnerable to their toxic effects.

• 20 Things You Can Do To Green School Your Building at No Or Low Cost
• Arsenic, Mercury, Lead and Cadmium
• Best Practices for Controlling Energy Costs
• Grant Flyer
• Green Schools Checklist

Tanks

The Children's Environmental Health porgram was established to protect children from exposure to harmful chemicals and other environmental health hazards. In keeping with this program, in August 2007, ADEQ launched the Underground Storage Tanks (UST) School Assistance Initiative to coordinate efforts with schools and school districts to prevent future releases from operating UST systems and to remediate open UST releases at schools. ADEQ's efforts include:

• Providing education and information on Arizona's underground storage tank laws to schools and school districts.
• Expediting cleanup and closure of contaminated leaking underground storage tank (LUST) sites at schools.
• Assisting schools to prevent future releases from operating underground fuel storage systems.

Return to Arizona Children's Environmental Health Program Home Page