An Eco Friendly Green Back to School

It is that time of year.  Back to school!

Millions of people flood the stores to buy new clothes, backpacks, binders, computers, etc.  Here are some tips to save money and be a little more green. Amazon has a back to school sale.

1) Stick with the same wardrobe. Buying a new set of clothes just to wear something new, is wasteful.   Also try hand me downs, thrift shops.

2) Reuse school supplies.  Look through your garage and dig up those old pens, markers, backpacks, binders, etc that can be reused.  You don’t need the latest commercial fade advertised all over your stuff. Donate unwanted items so others can reuse them.  If you need a new backpack buy one with natural fibers and skip PVC based ones. (Usually marked as #3)

3) Buy or use a re-usable lunch bag/box.  Also pack items in washable plastic containers, reusable utensils, not throwaway plastic bags. Thermos work great for drinks. Forget about juice boxes, use refillable BPA free bottles. Avoid lunch boxes with lead paint, PVC (Usually marked #7) , BPA, or antimicrobial chemicals.

4) Upgrade your computer, do not buy a new one.  Add some ram or a bigger hard drive.  Clean off junk that is un-necessary. Defragment your hard drive. Consult our Green Electronics Article.

5) Plan eco friendly transportation.  Bike or walk to school. Take the bus. Worst case, carpool with a friend.

6) Buy paper goods with high recycled content. Avoid PVC (#3) plastic. Binders, Binder paper, manila folders, notebooks, etc.  At least 30% post consumer waste is good.

7) Art supplies can contain many toxic chemicals so stick to water based paints with natural pigments, avoid polymer clays as they contain PVC. Buy natural brushes and pens with recycled materials. Avoid petroleum products by sticking to soy or beeswax crayons.  Water based glues are better than toxic ones or rubber cement.

Pencils should be plain wood, not painted, scented, or coated.

9) Cell phones should be low on the radiation scale and should be used with our tips.

Naked Binder, Eco-friendly binders

Naked Binder makes Eco-friendly binders, folders and tab dividers with sustainability and design in mind. Recycled and recyclable, strong as a bull and 130 choices to match your mood, class list or decor, these are the perfect binder for students or educators who care. Priced the same as most vinyl items.

Related posts:

1. Bamboo Textiles, Bamboo Clothes Not Green, Not Eco Friendly – Green BBQ with Bamboo Plates – Bamboo Picture Frames
2. Eco Friendly Green Shredder
3. Eco Friendly Green Toliet Paper and Toothbrush
4. act2 GreenSmart Eco friendly Green Bags
5. Eco Friendly Gifts, Green Gifts
6. How to have a Green Father’s Day
7. Eco Green Permanent Marker
8. How to have a Eco Friendly or Green Christmas – Recycling Gift Wrap and Holiday Cards

Posted on September 3rd, 2011
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