Help the Earth with Green School Supplies

Green School Supplies: Help the Earth with Back-to-School Supplies

Posted on Jul 18, 2014 in Green Products by Anh Speer, Ph.D. 0 Comments

It is almost this time of the year where parents should start shopping for back-to-school supplies. Whether you are doing it for the first time or again this year, let’s make it the year for green school supplies. Buying eco-friendly school supplies can save money and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time. Every year in the U.S., about 14 billion pencils and 31 million tons of paper are made, requiring the use of more than half a billion trees and more than 10 billion gallons of oil. Not only you will help the Earth, but also you can teach our children to be aware of serious environmental issues. Make them be proud of participating in the sustainable lifestyle by using green school supplies.

Green School Supplies: Reuse, Reduce and Recycle

Before buying school supplies, let’s take inventory and look around the house to see if you can reuse or recycle existing supplies. If you have old pencils, erasers, binders and markers from the previous school year that are in good condition, why not reuse them? It’ll save you money from buying new ones and can make your kids feel good by helping the planet. Scissors, pencil sharpeners and staplers are school supplies that can last for years. Reuse them instead of keeping a bunch of scissors lying around, it will also keep little curious hands safe. Are you tired of those half-used or lightly used crayons and color pencils that keep getting accumulated year after year? If you have a lot of those, make sure to use them again before buying new ones. It’ll help the children stay organized and not junk up their drawers.

Eco-Friendly Back-to-School Supplies – Know Your Options

Once you are done taking inventory of what your children can reuse and recycle, chances are you will only need to buy a few more supplies. Now is the time to explore green school supply options. Many local stores and online retailers have a vast inventory of green school supplies. Some second hand stores and websites, like freecycle, also have supplies and school uniforms that are in great condition. If you need to buy new school supplies, the following are great tips to help get you started.

Biodegradable pencils & pens: Need new pens or pencils? Look for biodegradable pens and pencils that are made from corn-based renewable materials. You can also explore refillable pens to help reduce landfill waste as well.
Soybean crayons: Look for earth-friendly non-toxic crayons are made from soybean oil. Prang Fun Pro are one of those crayons made from renewable materials.
Potato starch glue: Eco-friendly solvent-free glue such as Coccoina glue sticks and paste are made from potato starch and almond oil. A great option for those still putting unwashed hands in their mouths.
Bamboo ruler: Need a new ruler? No problem. Look for high quality rulers made from sustainable bamboo, not plastic.
Recycled scissors: If you do need new scissors, look for scissors with handles made from recycled plastic. Don’t forget to check with friends and neighbors to see if they have an extra set.
Recycled paper notebooks: Look for notebooks, journals and stationary that are made from 100% recycle paper. It is just as good as other paper and can save trees.
Biodegradable highlighters: Look for those highlighters that are made from non-toxic biodegradable materials such as Eco Dry Highlighter pencils.

Find green school supplies for your children.

Buying green school supplies is easier than you think. These earth-friendly products are available at many retail stores and online retailers such as Amazon.com, Overstock.com and similar. The impact that you’ll make on the environment will be huge when more and more parents are committed to reuse, recycle and buy green school supplies. Let’s save money and make the Earth a cleaner place for future generations.