It’s fall again and that means back-to-school time!
Would you like to make your back-to-school shopping more eco-friendly? This is something that is becoming increasingly popular and we have some ideas to help you do so:
- Naked binders: these 3-ring binders are made from 100% post-consumer waste cardboard and are 100% recyclable since they don’t use a vinyl cover!
- Voltaic Array Solar Backpack: this backpack is waterproof and includes a solar panel with a 60-watt battery for charging your electronics.
- New Leaf 100% Recycled Composition Book: there is no need to buy composition books that require cutting down trees when you can use one made entirely of recycled materials! As an added bonus, these notebooks are processed chlorine-free.
- TreeSmart Recycled Newspaper Pencils: these pencils are made from recycled newspapers rolled around #2 graphite. They sharpen like traditional wooden pencils and the erasers are latex-free.
While these are just school supplies, there are also options for eco-friendly clothing at stores like Target, H&M, and JC Penney, or buying from consignment shops, like Plato’s Closet. You can also reduce the amount of plastic thrown away by using reusable sandwich bags and other reusable food containers, which are becoming widely available at retailers such as IKEA, The Container Store, and Amazon.
Even if you don’t want to add these items to your kids’ back-to-school supplies, you are still doing your part by reusing items that you have from previous years or by handing down items to younger siblings for reuse. Reducing our consumption of materials can be accomplished in many ways…find what works best for you!