My director and I have different ideas of what a sustainable practice is - advice?

[reyrey]

At the service I work at we have a 'sustainability folder' where every room is expected to add photos and write-ups about the sustainable practices they have in place. We had a staff meeting last night and the director mentioned that my room has contributed the least to the book and basically said I need to keep up with the other rooms when it comes to implementing sustainability in the program.

In the folder most of the examples from other rooms are using boxes for box construction, using cardboard tubes (bought from the shop, not recycled toilet rolls) to paint circles, decorating milk bottles (for no specific purpose) and so on. My gripe with this is I don't really think those activities can be classed as sustainable practices because in reality the items created out of these recyclable items are most likely going to be thrown out at the end of the day! I said this in the staff meeting and was pretty much shot down by my director who said, "It's called REUSING - taking items that would be thrown away and using them for another purpose." But to me, reusing is taking an old tyre and turning it into a seat, using an old pallet for a stand up herb garden (all of which I have done for my room) - not taking a perfectly recyclable box and covering it with sticky tape and other craft materials so it can no longer be recycled.

What is everyone's opinion on this? I am honestly started to doubt myself and what my idea of a sustainable practice is.

[Lorina]

I completely understand your point of view and where you are coming from! I just don't understand why your director called you out specifically and wasn't very receptive to your idea. Anyway, using recycled materials to create craft is an idea but like you said if it's going to get chucked out anyway what really the point? Also, it's not really reusing if you are buying products to "reuse". Reuse means to encourage parents to bring recycle materials from home and to create other uses from that material...Like your example of using a pellet for a stand-up herb garden! If your director is wanting more "crafty" ideas for the children to take home specifically try and think outside the box and do something different like already what you're doing but for the children...

In regards to sustainable practices it more than re-using boxes. Here are some more ideas:

Sustainability Practices In Childcare

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Lorina