Too much paper!

I have a complaint for my children's school.  For some people, my complaint may seem petty or unimportant.  Irrational even.  But, I think that in the day and age we live in, it has true validity. My complaint, the school sends home too much paper!

I have 3 kids in grade school.  In a given week, we receive the normal amount of homework, no complaints from me on that.  But, in addition to the homework and work sheets, I receive countless reams of papers in duplicate.  Newsletters X 3, school lunch menu  X 3, PTA Newsletters X 3, Scholastic Order Forms X 3.  Need I continue?  Probably not.  I also get a never ending supply of permission slips for field trips, Brownie and Girl Scout Newsletters and flyer's for every kid centered activity in the metro area.  Enough already!  I am trying to teach my kids the importance of conserving our natural resources and recycling.  How can I effectively convey my message of being conscientious of what we waste when their own school sends home paper like it costs nothing, both monetarily and environmentally?

I find it especially frustrating that I receive this paper in triplicate in April of all times, isn't this the month that we celebrate Earth Day after all?   While I write this blog, being motivated by pure frustration, I am staring at, you guessed it, paper!  Tonight, I have to go through several field trip permission slips and quietly throw away the third scholastic book order form that I have received in a week.  I have to do that quietly because my daughter is convinced that she needs the slumber party fun kit to complete her life.  It is after all only $19.99.