As you know, it's back to school time! Can you help me with some all-around back to school green recommendations? Clothing, supplies and fun, green after school projects.
Thank you,
Ready For School!
Dear Shopping for Back-To-School Stuff,
When I was a kid there wasn't anything more exciting than shopping for back-to-school supplies. (Fumbling through the "Husky" isle for back-to-school clothes, however, was as entirely different matter.) I remember that newly purchased fresh box of crayons (there are now 153 different colors!), glue (wasn't there always one kid in the room who always ate his?), folders, different colored markers, notebooks, reams of white-white-white lined paper, Dixon-Ticonderoga #2 Pencils, pens, a big goofy pink eraser, a plastic ruler, depending on your personality - either rounded or pointy scissors, a cute little pencil sharpener, a mini-stapler, tape, tissues (for those who are especially booger-y), a reusable lunch box promoting the latest cool TV show or movie, and occasionally even watercolors.
Back in the Stone Age when I was a kid our parents just bought the list of stuff necessary to speed our learning along without any thought of what any of it actually might do to the environment. Who knew then that that mountain of glaringly white paper was made from virgin fibers, that deforestation was its side effect and that wonderful "new" smell of the cache of back-to-school goodies were the off-gasses of the PVC-riddled pile?
In contrast to the bright colors and often-dangerous materials used to manufacture school supplies when I was a kid, the eco-sensitive school supplies available today are swanky, super-functional and reasonably priced.
Of course, if you need to buy it all in one shot, you can still expect to pay an arm and a leg, because none of it - eco-friendly or not - is ever super-cheap.
In an effort to be thrifty, therefore, recycle by digging through drawers, rummaging through second-hand stores, scouring summer-time yard sales and perhaps even checking with family members and neighbors willing to pass on hand-me-downs as suitable replacements for some of things you'll need for that long anticipated day back to school. (Parents: And since many green-retailers offer online shopping and delivery, consider ordering in bulk and purchase with other parents/guardians or even as an entire class or school to save cash, time and energy. Environmentally-friendly, educational staples are easily found on-line and are - more and more - standard stock in even some of the bigger mainstream chain stores, too...and check for discount coupons, as well!).
When you're shopping for notebooks and loose-leaf and craft paper, look for 100% recycled and chlorine-free items made from 100% post-consumer waste, (hopefully) printed with vegetable-based inks, and avoid PVC, plastic or vinyl binders and covers. You can also look for virgin paper that is made from sustainable forestation projects--it's all about health, convenience, cost, and eco-effectiveness.
For writing implements, I'm loving the newest in eco-writing utensils: pencils made out of recycled newspaper and cardboard instead of wood, and pens made from cornstarch instead of plastics.
Another thing we didn't have to deal with when I was going to school were educational electronics (even hand-held calculators were forbidden in the classroom back then). Nowadays, however, they're a necessity in the classroom and unfortunately, because of built-in obsolescence, they need to be upgraded or often replaced.
When shopping for replacements for electronic items, check the packaging for the environmental sensitivity of the materials (e.g. free of lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, and highly toxic flame-retardants). Also, look for information regarding the manufacturer's or store's end-of-life management - some companies are committed to properly disposing of their merchandise if returned to them. Additionally, if possible, check for the following: (a) the rating for energy conservation (some items are solar powered!), (b) the products expected longevity and life cycle extension (can it be upgraded when version 2.0 is released?), (c) the sustainability of its packaging materials (those that are earth-friendly are very eager to let customers know it, so it will be obvious right on the box), and (d) corporate sustainability and social responsibility performance (manufacturer's websites will supply that kind of information if they are actually working on those issues).
Every kid needs a backpack to stash school supplies - among other things. If a backpack is still usable by all means continue to use it - even if it's last year's Spider Man and not this year's Bat Man - because sometimes, for the sake of the environment, we need to suffer these minor indignities.
But if you need to buy a new backpack, consider ones that are PVC-free, made of recycled rubber, or woven from hemp, organic cotton, jute, wool or recycled polar fleece. A second-hand but stylishly distressed replacement can also fit the bill at a low price and the eco-friendliness of recycling.
The same goes for clothing, outerwear, sneakers and shoes. With an incentive for kids to walk or bicycle to school and thereby reducing pollution and increasing some much needed exercise, some of the newest "cool" footwear is being made with the environment in mind.
As the saying goes "All work and no play makes Jack and/or Jill a dull child." So here are some late-summer homemade-school-supply eco-projects to help you complete the list of stuff you might need, but can make as easily as purchase.
Every kid's desk or homework area needs storage boxes, bookmarks, pencil tins, and book covers and a whole lot more. But instead of buying them how about making them yourself? Here's the key: I'll bet you or someone you know has a pile of posh paper shopping bags which are often printed on high-quality stock, with snappy graphics, logos or product endorsements and are perfect for craft projects just like this.
To make a book cover, first cut the shopping-bag along its seams (north-to-south) to make it a flat, wide rectangle, and then place the book in the center. Fold over the top and bottom edges so the bag is only slightly wider than the book's height. Next, fold over the sides to form "sleeves" into which the book covers will slide. Cut off the excess paper from the sleeves, leaving a couple of inches on either side to slide over the front and back covers. Put a piece of masking tape on the top and bottom of each sleeve (over the paper, not the book) to keep it on tight, and Voila! Instant ultra-bedazzling schoolbook protection at zero cost.
With the remaining portion of the shopping bag (or even old gift wrapping paper if you are like me and save every scrap), cut out strips (1½" by 5" is a good size) to create bookmarks, and then embellish cans, tins, cereal cartons and juice containers rescued from the recycling by gluing or taping the paper to them to make smart and chic, completely personalized pencil tins and storage boxes...a one-of-a-kind set made out of recyclables.
If questioned as to why your eco-back-to-school supplies are homemade, tell them what my mom always told me: "If we wanted something ordinary we'd just buy it. But by making it ourselves, we end up with something extra-special."
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