Green - Back To School

Gold Star For A Green Back To School
Your Daily Thread: August 10, 2010 by Danielle Davis

Reuse is always in style and the same goes this fall. First, dig out any BYO-equipment you may already have hiding in cupboards. For the rest, may we suggest:

*Food-grade stainless steel snack containers at Kids Konserve are non-toxic, free of baddies like lead and BPA and perfect for stashing in a backpack or even a purse. Hummus? Yogurt? Trail mix? Carrots? Yup, they’ll all fit snuggly inside.

*Reusable cloth snack and sandwich bags are all the rage. You can score a handmade number on etsy from crafters. Or you can create a version with your own sewing chops.

*Transform to go with our favorite stainless steel carriers from To-Go Ware. When you’re picking up food on the run, better not to carry out any waste with your warm lunch.

*When brown-bagging, earn an A with a Rebel Green organic cotton, made in the USA sack—it may not be brown, but it can be used over and over and over again.

*PeopleTowels are small organic cotton towels you carry with you. When you wash your hands, whip yours out instead of snagging the disposable paper ones to dry with. You’ll save about ¼ of a tree a year in addition to waste and water.

When choosing to buy a supply, go for used, recycled, upcycled, something from an independent retailer, something with a smaller footprint and longer life. Also, one ingredient to avoid when possible is PVC (aka vinyl), a kind of plastic ubiquitous in school supplies (think shiny binders and backpacks) that has toxic chemicals in its entire lifecycle, harming workers, air, water and wearers. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice has a fantastic (no-cost) guide to going PVC-free this year with recommendations on everything from lunch bags to laptops to umbrellas.

Then there’s:
*Alchemy Goods turns worn out inner tubes into sleek but strong accessories perfect for hauling your school or office accoutrements.

*For art supplies that do right by the inspiring natural world, look no further than Stubby Pencil Studio. It carries tools for a budding artist from safe, soy-based Crayon Rocks that encourage fine motor skills to eco-colored pencils crafted from FSC-certified wood.

*Need a new binder? Rebinder’s super plain offerings will do for any age, especially since they are a blank slate to add your own adornment. Even better, they are free of vinyl and constructed of recycled cardboard for a closed loop in more ways than one.

*If you’re attached to your sticky notes, Post-it will plant one tree for every recycled paper Post-it pack you buy—if you register it on its site here. Or, Russell and Hazel has some pretty ones that are also 100% recycled.

There are many more ways to green your back to school routine like carpooling, walking, biking, or taking public transportation. You can start a recycling program or advocate for healthy lunches. Whatever you do, know that we’re behind you! That’s right, you get a gold star from us.

Check out last year’s back to school guide for more! READ MORE !