Working Together for a Greener Future: The Belmont Redwood Shores Sustainability Parent Group

If you're a parent concerned about preserving a livable future for your children, you're far from alone. Parents around the world are on the front lines of climate action. Here in Silicon Valley, we see incredible leadership from parents in our communities. The Belmont Redwood Shores Sustainability Parent Group (BRSSPG) is one fantastic example of local parents forging a greener future together.

The BRSSPG was founded by three parents who bonded over their passion for sustainability at a PTA meeting. They decided to channel their anxiety into action, forming a collective of parents with the same goal: to create a more hopeful, active, sustainable community - together.

Today, the BRSSPG brings together like-minded parents throughout the peninsula. Currently 40 members strong, they collaborate with teachers, school district staff, and students. Their initiatives help foster environmental stewardship and get kids inspired about climate action.

Here's a look at some of the BRSSPG's latest projects.

BRSSPG members hard at work

Reducing Food Waste with Peninsula Food Runners

California's Universal Meals Program guarantees free breakfast and lunch to all school children. While this is fantastic for California families, it also leads to a major sustainability problem: food waste. Unserved food from the program can't be saved or served at the next meal.

Food waste is responsible for up to 58% of methane emissions from U.S. landfills. Not only is this environmentally disastrous, it's also wasteful - that's perfectly edible food!

To tackle food waste in local schools, BRSSPG partnered with Peninsula Food Runners, a nonprofit organization that collects surplus food and delivers it to those in need. Whenever Peninsula Food Runners volunteers are not available, BRSSPG parents jump in to drive loads of food from schools to donation centers. They have saved thousands of pounds of food so far.

This partnership makes school meals more sustainable, saves edible food from landfills, and combats hunger in our community. It's a win-win-win for everyone involved.

Fighting Plastic Pollution with Ridwell

Plastic film is used to package all kinds of products: snacks, clothes, toys, school supplies, and more. Unfortunately, it isn't accepted by our local recycling services.

To keep more plastic waste out of landfills, BRSSPG introduced local schools to Ridwell: a nationwide recycling company that collects hard-to-recycle materials like plastic film.

Last year, the group encouraged all BRSSD schools to participate in a plastic film recycling campaign organized by Ridwell. This year, Sandpiper School has subscribed to Ridwell for the entire year, with bi-weekly pickups scheduled directly from the school.

Promoting Environmental Awareness in The Pilot

The Pilot, the monthly publication of the Redwood Shores Community Association, reaches over 6,000 local households and businesses. BRSSPG has decided to use that reach to inspire and spread awareness about local environmental issues.

Each month, The Pilot publishes an article written by a BRSSPG member. The articles cover a range of sustainability topics, from heat pumps and home upgrades to local initiatives. You can read all the recent Pilot articles on the BRSSPG website.

Make Green Transportation Fun with the Bike Bus

Biking to school is an awesome way to reduce traffic, curb air pollution, and lower emissions - not to mention spending quality time out in nature. Unfortunately, many parents don't feel it's safe to let their kids bike to school alone.

Enter the Bike Bus: a fun, eco-friendly convoy of parents and kids biking to school together. BRSSPG recently launched their own Bike Bus in Redwood Shores. The movement is already taking off, with more students and parents joining as the school year goes on.

Encouraging Young Eco Activists with School Green Teams

BRSSPG has helped initiate and support Green Teams programs at both Ralston Middle School and Sandpiper School.

A Green Team is a school club for students to get involved in environmental actions, events, art, and more. This is a fantastic way to help youth take action and pursue their passions.

Check out the Pollinator Rescue Project developed by Ralston Middle School's own Neel Billsus! With the support of his school's Green Team, his mission is to create a pollinator highway through Redwood Shores.

.... And Much More

These are just some examples of the projects BRSSPG has gotten involved in over the last few years. Check back here for our next post on the group's incredible work uniting parents, inspiring students, and helping schools get more sustainable.

Want to get involved? If you're a parent in the Belmont or Redwood Shores community, BRSSPG needs you. Contact the group through their website or message them on Whatsapp to learn how you can get involved.

When parents, students, and teachers work together, the future looks a little brighter. Stay tuned for our next post on this parent group's inspiring work. Thanks for all your hard work, BRSSPG members!