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Created on Friday, 22 July 2011 16:22
Make a “green” impression on your kids this fall with planet-friendly (non-toxic) school supplies. Not only will it be a conversational icebreaker with their new classmates, but many of the eco-friendly options are super stylish, too. Follow these simple green shopping tips and get started shopping.
Try not to buy backpacks made of nylon or “new plastics”, especially PVC/vinyl. Instead opt for bags made from recycled materials or natural cotton or materials such as hemp.
Choose biodegradable pens. These corn-made pens disintegrate completely about a year after they are thrown away and can be found for just $2 each at online retailers such as www.grassrootsstore.com .
Send lunches in reusable food and beverage containers. Pack lunches in Wrap-N-Mat, cotton and non-PVC-vinyl–lined bags or BPA-free snack containers. These items are now widely available and easy to find at many local retailers such as Target and Wal-Mart.
Don’t send prepackaged beverages. Opt for BPA-free, reusable water bottles such as Sigg or REI. We’ve all seen the horrifying commercial that states “enough plastic water bottles were thrown away last year to wrap around the planet 3 times!” That says it all.
Buy recycled when available. Kleen Earth scissors have black handles that are made from recycled plastic and the Post-It company now has an entire line of recycled sticky notes available at most office supply stores.
Avoid toxic adhesive paste. This glue is a parent and student favorite. Coccoina sticky paste (aka glue) is made of potato starch and works on paper and fabric. And best of all, it is solvent-free and smells like almonds! Although not as easily available as some of the other suggestions, Coccoina can be purchased at popular green online retailers such as www.greendepot.com .
Start your green shopping at bulk supply retailers such as OfficeMax and Staples - all of which offer notebooks made from recycled paper and many other eco-friendly supply solutions. And, for those not-so-easy-to-find items, online retailers such as www.greendepot.com can be a one-stop solution for the rest of your needs!
