Led by the PTAs, the Green Team program across all public schools in Lexington shares a common goal: to reduce waste and improve our environment. What’s particularly striking is the strong camaraderie and mutual support among these teams. Whenever questions or challenges arise, individuals like Jill, a Green Team coordinator, could seek insights from the collective knowledge of the Green Team network. It’s akin to being part of a helpful and supportive family, as Jill aptly describes it.
Influenced by the value instilled by my family and the education I received at school, I have consistently maintained a deep concern for our environment. This unwavering commitment is what initially drew my attention to the Green Team program. As I approached my graduation from Harrington, with the enthusiastic support of our PTA presidents, I had the distinct privilege of conducting an interview with Jill Ward, one of the coordinators of the Green Team.
On a delightful Sunday morning, the sun shining brightly and a gentle breeze in the air, I had the pleasure of meeting Jill at Harrington playground. My first inquiry was to learn more about Jill herself. Jill has a first grader and a third grader at Harrington. She and her family relocated to Lexington roughly four or five years ago, following a period of residing in various regions across the United States. However, Jill’s background is even more diverse. As a child, she had the unique experience of growing up overseas, spending her formative years in Japan, Hong Kong, and later attending high school in London. This global upbringing meant she attended a variety of schools and had the opportunity to connect with a diverse range of individuals.
Jill also shared an interesting facet of her past - she used to work as a cook in a large Assisted Living kitchen (pretty cool, right?). Working there, she became aware of the significant amount of food waste being discarded, seemingly without a second thought. The solution? Composting: there had to be a way of separating organic material from plastics and other non-biodegradables, and transforming it into nutrient-rich soil.
Motivated by this realization started a composting program in that kitchen in Colorado, and the results were striking. They managed to substantially reduce the volume of trash. Years later when her children enrolled at Harrington, Jill was elated to discover that the school was already doing this. The LPS Green Teams had been in full swing for years! Eager to contribute, she enthusiastically joined the Green Team to lend her support.
The LPS Green Teams are addressing the critical issue of landfill space in our state, which is rapidly running out. Massachusetts will soon need to transport our trash to other states - an undesirable outcome. Consequently, the Green Team and similar initiatives are working diligently to help mitigate this situation and promote sustainable waste management practices.
The Green Team undeniably stands as an environmental boon for our schools. At Harrington, the lunchtime waste totaled a staggering six huge bags brimming with a mixture of food, liquids and garbage. Now we are down one! to the fact that most items from school lunch can be composted, leaving just one bag of landfill-bound trash. This is a remarkable difference.
Jill and her kids Andy and Essie hope to start a Green Team subgroup at Harrington called the “Green Beans,” which would be run by students. The idea would be to engage in various eco-friendly activities such as weekly garbage walks and share climate-friendly tips at All-Hawks assemblies. Jill’s insight is that by igniting the enthusiasm of the younger generation, their families may be inspired to join these efforts as well. It’s a truly innovative and promising approach!
During my time at Harrington Elementary, I recall that we predominantly used compostable cutlery, although occasionally, plastic ones would be mixed in. This led me to wonder why compostable cutlery wasn’t more consistently available. Jill shed light on this issue, explaining that the pandemic significantly disrupted the supply chain and distribution of compostable cutlery. Prior to the pandemic, there was a reliable source of compostable utensils. However, in recent years, there were periods where the packaging seemed to change from week to week, causing confusion for both students and parent volunteers.
This inconsistency created challenges in differentiating between compostable and non-compostable items. Making it difficult to discern what should be discarded as garbage and what should not. Fortunately, Jill reassured me that we are on the path to resuming the use of exclusively compostable cutlery in the upcoming school year. With this, the school can continue its commitment to sustainability and waste reduction efforts.
