Learn how to SUPERPOWER your school!
If your family is anything like ours, the kids are way more involved and interested in the environment than we were at their age. That’s not a bad thing, and it’s even better when the message about protecting the earth is reinforced at school. That’s why we’re thrilled that Staples Canada is once again teaming up with EcoKids and Earth Day Canada for the 10th annual Superpower your School Contest. From now until January 31, 2020, elementary and secondary schools across Canada can enter to win one of 10 prizes of $20,000 in new technology from Staple Canada. All the school has to do to enter is fill out the entry form listing the eco-initiatives the school and its students have undertaken that have had a positive impact on their school and community. We know that time is at a premium for educators and administrators in schools, and Staples Canada understands that too – so they made a really easy to follow step-by-step entry guide so that schools can see if they’re eligible to participate in the contest and learn the criteria upon which the contest will be judged. The prizes are distributed across the country by region – you can see the regions here, and there is a $20,000 technology prize for an elementary and a secondary institution in each region! I know that my kids’ school could do a lot with $20,000 in new technology. The entry forms have to be submitted by a school employee and have the approval of the principal but as parents, we can certainly encourage our kids’ schools to enter the contest.
Staples Canada already has a number of great eco-initiatives that schools can take part in to help the environment. We’ve used the ink and toner recycling boxes at Staples for household printer ink and toner cartridges but they also offer a School Ink Recycling program where schools can sign up and receive a free ink recycling bin and collect all the cartridges from around the school for recycling. Another eco initiative that Staples Canada has spearheaded is a Writing Instruments Recycling program.
Customers can drop off used writing instruments – pens, pencils, markers, and highlighters at their local Staples Canada store and, in partnership with Terracycle, they are recycled instead of going into landfills! If you have an artistic kid, you know just how fast they can go through markers – and the thought of all that plastic in landfills is just not acceptable. I know a few teachers who have collection bins for used writing instruments in their classrooms – when the bins are full or when they know they’re heading to Staples for supplies, they take the contents for recycling. Staples has battery recycling at its store locations which is a huge help since batteries are considered household hazardous waste and can be difficult to recycle in some municipalities. Since 2004 when the program began, Staples Canada in partnership with Call2Recycle has collected and safely recycled over a million kilograms of rechargeable and alkaline batteries!
As entrepreneurs, we love Staples Canada for being a one-stop shopping experience for our technology, printing, and general business needs but as parents, we love Staples Canada because of their commitment to the environment and our schools (and the great selection of school supplies). The Superpower your School Contest runs until January 31st, 2020 so there’s still time to encourage your child’s school to enter!
DISCLOSURE: This post was sponsored by Staples Canada, however, all thoughts and ideas are our own.
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