Back to School - The Green Way

As summer comes to an end a lot of people are thinking about going back to school. If this is your case, you should stop for a moment and think about how you could turn this experience into a green one. According to official information, about 35%-40% of waste comes from institutions like schools and 40% of the waste is paper. A for Apple More and more schools are trying to supply all classrooms with enough computers so that there will be no need for textbooks and there will be less paper wasted. When you are on a shopping spree for notebooks, tissues, and sticky notes, you should be looking for recyclable materials. Boxes Besides paper, we also have to think about packaging waste. A lot of waste comes from the packaging or pupils' lunch. A lot of this waste can be reduced if children used reusable Tupperware containers or lunch boxes. Another way to reduce waste is to place all different kinds of foods in the same package. Clothing Let's not forget that children also need new clothing when school begins. If the old clothes are only gently used, you should throw a swap party for children to trade their old clothes for other ones. Donating and shopping at consignment stores is another way to reduce unnecessary waste. Take Inventory Children usually tend to buy a lot of new things when school begins, regardless of what they already have at home. This is why the first step is to make an inventory of all the items that the child already has and buy only the necessary items because for sure the kid has some leftover supplies. Carpool, Ride or Walk In order for your child to be eco-friendly, it might be a good idea for him or her to walk or to ride to school. In some cases this is not an option, and in that situation you could talk to other parents to carpool. It is even better if the child has the possibility to take the school bus. Eco-Friendly Backpack The majority of the backpacks are produced using metals and plastic which are not eco-friendly. However, there are a lot of eco-friendly products that are made of recycled materials. Although you might think that all of them are ugly, you should know that there are some stylish ones as well, that can become the next big thing. Related Posts: Frugal Living and Back to School Tips to Match This Trend Going Back to School the Green Way Don't Forget to Recycle After the Holidays The 2011 Guide to Frugal Christmas Holidays The Best Tips to Make Your Fall Greener