Green Back-to-School
One minute it’s summer and you’re enjoying summer and green backyard barbecues; the next minute you’re standing in your local department store loading your cart with an array of back-to-school supplies for your kids. Students will use an estimated 18.1 billion tons of waste by the end of a school year, which is an area that’s definitely in need of a little greening. Whether it’s buying a hemp backpack, a reusable water bottle or organic cotton towels for your dorm room-bound youngster, there’s a range of steps you can take to make education more environmentally friendly. You can even send your child to a green school. So when you send them back to school this fall—be it elementary, high school or university—send them with a green conscience and the right back-to-school gear.
Top 5 buying tips
Top 5 buying tips
1. Buy Eco-Conscious Electronics
The new trend in schools, both in K–12’s and universities, is more time on the computer and less time with pen and paper, with some schools even making requirements that all students own a laptop. While this means less paper consumption (always a great thing) it also means more energy consumption—especially if that time is spent on a desktop computer. By choosing an Energy Star and/or EPEAT certified computer or printer, your kids can do high tech work with low impact.
2. Pace Yourself When It Comes to Paper
The back-to-school buying rush always ends up in the paper aisle. Each stack that flies off the shelf equals another dent in valuable resources (namely trees) and with some students going through about 28 pounds of paper through the year, the total effect can be pretty huge. Make sure you purchase recycled paper and paper products (which you then recycle) and encourage your kids to make the most out of what they use.
3. Get There Greener
One of the best ways to get green with going back-to-school starts before the kids are even at school; if you’re dropping off and picking up your children five days a week, you’re costing yourself (and the environment) more than you should be— unless you happen to drive one of these. When possible, walk to school and give your kids some extra exercise in their day. Otherwise, consider sending them on the school bus, which might be one of the new eco-conscious models. It’s yellow, but still a green choice.
4. Make Lighter Impact Lunches
If your kids hesitate to brown bag it, tell them they don’t have to; they can green bag it. Pack their school-time sustenance in reusable containers inside a reusable lunch tote and make sure to include local, organic goodies that minimize extra packaging. Fill reusable, BPA-free bottles with juice and water instead of buying single use, disposable options. Not only will this make for an eco-conscious afternoon meal, it’ll save you money.
5. Think Big
As you send your young ones back to school, the choices and changes you make at home to go green can have great implications for the environment and move you closer to your zero carbon goal. Still, don’t limit yourself to your immediate area; get involved with an organization like The Green Schools Initiative to start greening the educational sector on a whole or think about running for school board so you can have play a bigger role in your school’s environmental decisions.
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