To start, here is the World Wildlife Fund’s list of 10 ways to green your child’s backpack and my commentary on each tip:
1) See if there are things such as pencils and pens, left over from last year that can be used this fall.
Besides, pencils and pens etc. determine if your child really needs a new backpack, or book bag? Does your child really need a new lunchbox? (I have to say we have a lot of backpacks from previous years. We use them to store toys and such, so they are being reused but it is kind of crazy). Once you know what you need, it’s time to shop.
2) Look for school supplies—folders, notebooks, staples—made of recycled materials. Using recycled products helps save landfill space and cut pollution.
I’ve said it once, twice, maybe 20 times, buy recycled paper! That is, paper made from paper. Look for paper with the highest post-consumer waste content. Do this for computer paper, notebooks, composition books etc.
3) Try finding back-to-school deals on the Web. Ordering school supplies online or by phone saves you a trip to the store as well as the fuel needed to drive from store to store.
Okay, this one is just dumb. Do the supplies walk to your house? Someone is doing the driving, either you or the shipping company. I think it’s a net zero. It might be a good idea to use the internet to determine who has most of the supplies your are looking for, and then make one trip to that particular store. Don't spend forever driving around looking for that one specific pencil!
4) Look for the FSC label on pencils and paper. Many paper products are made from trees specifically grown and harvested for papermaking, thus sparing delicate rainforest ecosystems. The Forest Stewardship Council certifies that wood and paper products are grown and managed responsibly.
Other ways to be environmentally friendly when it comes to pencils are:
a) Buy refillable pencils made from recycled plastic (make sure you check with your child’s school about this, our school does not allow them).
b) Purchase Papermate’s EarthWrite Recycled Pencils. These No. 2 pencils, which contain 100% recycled materials, can be easily found (Staples, Office Depot, etc.).
c) Consider buying Smencils. Smencils are “gourmet scented pencils made from recycled newspapers”. They are made by wrapping newspaper around a #2 graphite core and come in 10 scents: bubble-gum, cherry, popcorn, grape, chocolate, cotton candy, watermelon, orange, very-berry and root beer. Cost: $.66 - $1.00/pencil.
Here are more Smencil facts:
- An average sized cedar tree will make about 172,000 wood pencils.
- 172,000 Smencils can be made from 430 newspapers.
- Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times saves about 75,000 trees.
- The average tree can filter about 60 pounds of air pollution per year.
- If everyone in the US recycled just 10% of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees each year.
5) Purchase supplies with minimal packaging. Packaging makes up about a third of the garbage that piles up in landfills. Also, less processing and packaging means less energy goes into production, and less global warming pollution is created.
Buy in bulk!
6) Brown bag meals and avoid plastic. Pack school lunches in brown, unbleached, recycled paper bags whenever possible. And if your child has a favorite superhero, there's a good chance the character is printed on a re-usable lunchbox.
Buy reusable containers for sandwiches and snacks. Using 2-3 bags per lunch creates a lot of unnecessary waste and expense! It is estimated that each student generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school!
Also check out wastefreelunches.org which provides information about how to pack a waste free lunch and where to get a "laptop lunch box" with reusable containers that neatly fit into a lunch box.
7) Prepare lunches using local produce. Be aware of the distances food travels and the emissions necessary to ship and truck it there. Although broccoli is grown at nearby farms, the ones that shoppers pick up at the supermarket traverse an average distance of 1,800 miles.
We are getting into harvest time and there will be a lot of fresh and nutritious foods to choose from. By shopping locally you not only help the environment, you support your local farmers and boost the economy.
8) Refill water bottles. Don't throw them away. One and a half million tons of plastic are used to bottle water every year. Such large-scale manufacturing and disposal of water bottles can release toxic chemicals into the environment.
In a previous post I outlined the types of water bottles to choose. Consider purchasing one not just for your child’s lunch, but also if your child participates in after school sports.
9) Look for laptops made by companies working to reduce their global emissions. The ENERGY STAR sticker is a good tip-off that a product is compliant with EPA guidelines. Some backpacks even have built-in solar panels to provide an eco-friendly way to power laptops. Also, turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
10) Walk or bike to school, not only to get exercise but also to benefit the environment. By burning calories walking, you and your child don’t burn a vehicle's gasoline and thus do your part to help reduce global warming. Surely, the PE instructor will approve.
Unfortunately we are not able to do this. But if your school is nearby and doesn’t involve crossing dangerous roads, try this!
Do you need more ideas? Okay. You can,
11) Reuse book covers until they can be used no more. You can even use brown paper bags from your groceries to cover your child‘s textbooks (you shouldn’t really have brown paper bags because you have been shopping with your reusable bags, right?). Your child can then decorate them any way s(he) wants.
12) Reuse last year’s plastic art or pencil box by decorating it for a new look. There’s no need to buy another one, but if you do ensure it is recyclable.
13) Try to buy water-based paints and soy-based crayons, which are better for the environment than oil-based products. Prang makes Soybean Crayons which cost $1 for 8.
- Soy crayons have the following advantages:
- Soy crayons are easier to use: they glide smoother and don’t flake.
- The colors of the soy crayons are brighter.
- They are safer for children (less toxic).
- Soy crayons are better for the environment. Soy crayons are completely biodegradable and are made from renewable resources.
Also check out crp3.tripod.com which has a cool crayon recycling program (a neat way for little kids to learn about recycling).
Finally…
14) Support companies and businesses that manufacture and/or sell recycled products.
Office Depot sells products by Mead and Second Nature, which include notebook paper, bound notebooks, and other paper products (50% recycled paper, 30% post-consumer waste). Dixon-Ticonderoga pencils made from certified sustainable-harvest wood; and EnviroTech products, which have a higher recycled content.
Staples sells Ampad Recycled Notebooks (50% recycled content, 20% PCW), Staples Recycled copy paper (30% PCW), Earthwise Recycled Composition Book (100% recycled), Southworth 25% Cotton Recycled Paper.
Many Glad (TM) products are made with polypropylene and are PVC-free, including Glad bags, Gladware reusable containers, and Glad plastic wrap. Avoid #3 plastics.
More and more options are becoming available all the time. Instead of reaching for the same old thing take a look around, there is likely an environmentally sound option right next to it. Be sure to read the packaging as everyone is sticking the words eco, green, and environmentally friendly on everything. Know what you are buying and feel proud that you are sending your children back to school with their first lesson already under their belts. That is, how to be a socially and environmentally responsible citizen!
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