Students at Loyola Comunidad Educativa in Mexico like to take care of the planet in different ways, especially now during the pandemic, which makes it harder to produce less waste.

To commemorate the World Environment Day 2021, we wanted to share three activities that we developed in class and at home this school year and that can be used for other students or teachers who want to include eco-friendly ideas in their lessons too.

1. By using collaboration boards (which helps students keep record and share their ideas and experiences with other students), classes can create a “sustainable board” to show those eco-friendly actions they carry on at home. Students can interact by seeing the works of others, commenting, suggesting more ideas and motivating each other.

2. Making a zero waste breakfast. Each of us made a plastic-free simple dish or snack that we enjoyed in our online class, and discussed about:

• the places in our communities where we found ingredients and produce without wrappings or unnecessary packaging.
• the advantages of reflecting about our consumption habits and taking baby steps to do our best.
• the struggles people face nowadays to find things in bulk.

3. A local product review.

We tried a more sustainable and eco-friendly alternative of a product that we normally used. We picked a product made locally, that was natural and that was bought bulk or didn’t come in plastic. After having tried the product for some time, we reflected on: the efficiency of the product, the benefits on our health, the impact on the planet, the benefit for the local producer and the affordability. Some of us went on to create our own DIY natural products.

Along the course we have also learned about food waste, air, water, and soil pollution. We also learned about how a circular economy can contribute to taking care of the ecosystems. Climate change and recycling were also part of the conversation.

We think that taking care of the planet is very important not only for us, but also for future generations because we don’t have a second home and the resources in our world aren’t infinite. The good news is that more people are becoming aware that there are solutions and that we can take action. Just as we take care of our houses by cleaning them and repairing them, we need to take care of our common home which is the earth.