Going Green Back to School

by Megan Seyler

by Megan Seyler

It happens every year whether you would like it to or not: it's time to go back to school. It's time for long afternoons spent listening to potentially boring lectures and even longer nights of homework and studying. Even if going back to school isn't your favorite time of year, there is something to look forward to: back to school shopping! This year in the midst of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and constant chatter about global warming you can do your part to save the environment by going green when you go back to school.

How many times have you gone to the store and purchased endless amounts of loose leaf paper, folders, pens, pencils, backpacks, lunch boxes, clothes, among countless other odds and ends that you might need in the classroom? You have probably done it every year since you started kindergarten. This year, do it with your mind on the environment. There are many easy ways to go green without going overboard. Sure, you need new notebooks or paper for new classes, but you can purchase 100% recycled paper for note taking, printing, and arts and crafts. Buy pens and binders made from recycled plastics to avoid creating new waste or reuse binders from last year. Maybe you don't like to write in pen because you have to erase too much? Also not a problem, you can purchase pencils made from Incense-Cedar wood and packaged in recycled paper. You can also get pencils made from 100% recycled materials, including the lead and the eraser! How about recharging the batteries for that calculator you're going to need in math class?

We all know you don't just need pens and paper to go back to school. There are lunches to pack and books to be carried. Do yourself and the environment a favor this school year, if you're going to bring your lunch to school, buy a lunchbox! You'll be shocked at how much paper (and money) you save by not putting your lunch in a brown bag. There are plenty of lunch boxes or bags made from recycled materials, and you can even find them in cool designs for kids. When you're bringing your lunch don't pack a bottle of whatever your favorite beverage is, put it in a reusable bottle! You can get food-grade BPA-free stainless steel bottles that won't leach harmful chemicals into your drink, and you won't be generating new waste everyday! If you really want to go to the extra mile you could eat organic foods that don't have any synthetic materials or harmful chemicals in them.

And what about those books? There are always too many to carry in your arms, but there's no reason you can't go eco-friendly in this area, too. Get yourself a bag made from recycled materials, like the ones from Alchemy Goods. These bags are super strong so they won't break from the heavy weight of all your books, plus they're individual and really cute! If that's not enough for you, think about buying second-hand clothing, or if you want something that's new and all your own, there are plenty of places to buy all natural clothing made from organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and renewable fibers. Think about all the new things you buy for school every year, and now think about all the natural resources you could save by going green when you go back to school!

Going Green Back to School

By: EnviroCitizen

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