Green School Supplies
Its that time of year again! Buying school supplies is one of the many things that parents and grandparents must do for their kids to get them ready for the following school year. One of the best ways to teach our kids how to be green is "green" the things they use the most; their school supplies! Green school supplies used to be super expensive and not-really-green, but lately they are affordable, stylish, and a lot greener than they used to be. Here are the products to look for and some general tips to help your kids (or grandkids) to go green
- Look through last year's supplies. One of the greenest things you can do is to use what you already have. Choose items that have all pieces (crayons, markers, ect), are clean, barely used (notebooks, ect.). If your children use loose leaf paper, take the clean, unused paper out of last year's binders, and put them in new ones. Inspect binders to see if they can stand another year of abuse. As you may already know, this also saves you some green (money that is!) and any savings you can get helps!
- Look for paper products made of 100% recycled paper. This method doesn't kill any trees and can be as stylish as your child wants it to be. Simply check the cover of the notebook, and it will indicate if it is made of recycled paper or not.
- Pencils and pens can now be purchased from 100% recycled materials. Again, just check the labels on the packages and it will tell you which ones are made of recycled materials.
- Markers are now more environmentally friendly! Check their packaging to see if it is made of recycled materials. Also be sure to check and see if they are refillable (many are) and if they are washable.
- Don't forget their backpacks! If reusing last years, try some sew on or iron on patches to freshen the look of the backpack. If you must buy new, look for ones made with hemp or rubber, which are renewable natural resources that grow back easily.
- Take your child's last year's pencil box, and make it new with some spray paint, magazine clippings, and rubber cement. This is a great project for you and the kids to do, and it allows them to express their creativity.
- Once your kids get their textbooks, get some brown paper (we have it on small rolls), and cover their textbooks. This will also save their books from heavy abuse, and many teachers may require they cover their books anyway. Take stickers, construction paper, magazine clippings, and decorate away! Seal any glued on items with rubber cement to give it a finished, glazed look.
