Top 12 Green Trends of 2012

1 of 12

As reporters of all things green, it’s our job to keep our ears to the ground and our eyes peeled for the next big thing. While there are some fads we won’t be sad to see retired in the new year (mustache T-shirts, anyone?), emerging trends in the green scene piqued our interests and left us wanting more. So, just in time for New Year’s, Earth911 rounded up 12 hot green trends we hope will stick around in 2013.

Homepage Image: Empire State Building

1. Schools cut food waste by composting

student, school, composting, compost, pilot, program, anderson school, new york city, new york, nyc, school, cafeteria, elementary

Photo: District 3 Green Schools Group

brown, glass, bottle, 40, 40 ounce. 40 oz, beer, liquor, malt, litter, sidewalk

vegetables, produce, fresh, mushrooms, sprouts, asparagus, onions, green, lettuce

friends, car, driving, carpool, carpooling, women, woman, men, man, guys, girls

swap-o-matic, reverse, vending, machine, swapping, trading

thrift store, thrift, store, clothing, shopping, mall, clothes

urban, community, garden, gardening, vegetable, food, edible, city, food forest,

nyc, new york, new york city, manhattan, skyline, urban, city, cityscape, empire state building, urban

e-waste, electronics, electronic, waste, power, cords, mouse, keyboard, keyboards

bulk, food, foods, aisle, grocery, store, shopping

apartment, apartments, complex, trees, greenery, tree, green, grass, outside, outdoors, condominiums, condos,

goe3, ribbon, cutting, ceremony, event, electric, vehicle, electric vehicle, charging station, EV,

When five New York City parents saw how much food waste was being hauled out of local schools and tossed into landfills, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

The parents, along with the District 3 Green Schools Group, decided to pilot a four-month composting program in eight NYC public schools, which taught 3,628 kids about the ins and outs of composting.

The move reduced the eight pilot schools’ cafeteria waste by an astounding 85 percent, saving 450 pounds of food waste from landfills each day and saving an estimated $3,000 in garbage bags and $3,700 in disposal fees for the pilot schools each year.

The team hopes the program will be expanded to the entire NYC school system, saving millions of dollars annually.

Learn More: NYC Schools Cut Food Waste by Composting