Eco-Friendly Back-to-School Tips

With back-to-school quickly approaching, it is time to start thinking of ways to prepare your children for school in an eco-friendly fashion. As you start back-to-school shopping, keep these tips in mind to ensure that your children will be fully prepared for any obstacle school throws at them.

Eco-Friendly Back to School Tip #1: Find an eco-friendly backpack to fit your style.

When heading back to school, a backpack that fits your personality and style is very important. Making sure your backpack is eco-friendly can create a huge impact on the environment as well as getting off on the right foot for the upcoming school year. Crocodile Creek has a variety of eco-friendly backpacks with bright colors and designs for your younger children. Hemp Sisters also has a wide variety of backpacks made of hemp and directed more toward the girls in your family. For your older children, you may want to look into a solar powered backpack that has a solar charging device to allow their laptops, iPods, and cell phones to fully charge while walking to and from class.

Eco-Friendly Back to School Tip #2: Grab all the green school supplies you can find.

When shopping for school supplies, keep an eye out for recycled paper, recycled pencils and crayons, as well as completely eco-friendly notebooks. Most local office supply stores or school supply locations are starting to carry these items. However, there are a couple of unique products you might want to particularly seek. Tree-free notebooks are made of fibers, kenafs, that act as a substitute for tree fibers. Kenaf is a fiber much like cotton that allows an economical way to produce paper without touching a tree. Ellie Pooh is a brand in Sri Lanka that utilizes elephant poop (yes, it's true) to make paper. The story is actually quite interesting. Elephants are very populated in Sri Lanka, so local businesses are trying to create sustainable and economical ways to utilize the elephants without harming them. This is a brilliant new way to create something we use everyday.

Eco-Friendly Back to School Tip #3: Pack an eco-friendly lunch in an eco-friendly lunch box.

Keep thinking green as you pack your children's lunches this year. Choose sustainable foods from local farmers. Your children will be eating healthier and have more energy throughout the day as they eat eco-friendly. While you are out shopping, you may want to also search for an eco-friendly lunch box. The laptop lunchbox is a great way to promote healthy eating as well as an eco-friendly device to transport your child's food. Another way to stay eco-friendly at lunch is to bring an eco-friendly water bottle to school. Klean Kanteen is a great water bottle that is completely stainless steel and BPA free. They provide different sizes, bottle tops, and colors for all of your children to choose from.

Think green as you head back to school!

Sources:

http://www.ebags.com/category/eco-conscious-backpacks/20045981
http://www.shopatron.com/home/index/476.0
http://www.hemp-sisters.com/index.asp
http://www.kleankanteen.com