Fall is finally here. The leaves are turning yellow and red; families and teachers are settling in with back-to-school schedules. It’s the perfect time to make reducing, reusing, and recycling part of new routines at home and school.

For example, Carl Sandburg Elementary on Finn Hill is already taking a fresh approach to greening up the classroom. The school’s Green Team has started a food recycling program, made the switch from Styrofoam to reusable trays in the lunchroom, and added milk carton recycling. The school even won a Terry Husseman Sustainable Schools Seed Award from the Washington Department of Ecology.

Carl Sandburg is part of the Washington Green Schools program, which provides schools with the support and resources “to empower the next generation of environmental leaders.” Certification is a six-step process that begins with organizing a Green Team and assessing improvement opportunities.

Certification is free and certified schools earn recognition, rewards, and other special opportunities. More than 400 schools in Washington are already certified. Learn more at www.wagreenschools.org.

Another energizing way to step up sustainability at school is to tap community resources. Host an assembly about waste reduction and recycling. Or, take a field trip to Waste Management’s Cascade Recycling Center in Woodinville. A visit to the recycling center provides an up-close look at how Waste Management uses the latest technologies – magnets, air jets, optical sorters – to reduce what goes to landfills. To schedule a visit, email recyclenw@wm.com. We welcome requests from teachers and parents as well as community groups.

And sustainability doesn’t stop there. Even though students are now spending most of their time at school, there are also opportunities to make better choices at home.

In the United States, up to 40 percent of food is wasted every year. Instead of becoming a statistic, pack a healthy mix of what students are most likely to eat (easier said than done, of course!) and encourage discussion about how we all need to do our part to reduce waste. A waste-free lunch is a good idea, too.

Try a reusable lunch box and containers, rather than buying bags that you’ll throw away every day. This goes for cloth napkins, silverware, and drink containers, as well.

It’s also a good idea to take a few minutes to refresh your recycling routine at home. Adjust signage and improve organization so putting the right materials in the right containers is quick and easy in every room.

If you need to replace signs on containers, you can print out guidelines from the Waste Management website at http://wmnorthwest.com. Waste Management and SightConnection are also teaming up to make re-use easier than ever for residents during the September clothing drive. For more information visit www.donatesightconnection.org

So, yes, fall is here and it means new, busy schedules. This year, let’s embrace it as a time to start new routines that make real and lasting change in our community and the world.

Michelle Metzler is with Waste Management.