Can you believe school started? Summer flew by. Actually I’m more shocked that all this Halloween stuff is popping up already, but that’s another story… Since school is in full kick-off mode, and your family is getting good and settled in, make sure you’re keeping it green and happy with the following green school tips.
Use the Snack Taxi and other reusable lunch gear. Plastic bags for sandwiches and snacks, disposable drink bottles and plastic silverware adds up fast.
When you’re cleaning out the closet to make room for all the new back to school duds make sure you recycle old clothes. Check out USAgain.com to find locations for drop boxes where you can easily dispose of last year’s styles.
Make sure you pack your child’s lunch safely. Most packed lunches, even healthy lunches, are susceptible to bacteria, so keep those lunches cool.
Make sure that you are buying eco-friendly, non-toxic school supplies, such as notebooks made from 100% post-consumer materials. Yes sir, brand new paper is made from entire forests – you don’t want that! New Leaf Paper is a good company to look to for makes stylish and affordable recycled notes books.
Better World Books offers a huge selection of used books for reasonable prices, which saves you money and saves on some major resources. Plus, for every book that you buy, they donate one to someone in need.
Make sure your child’s school is keeping it green and healthy by encouraging outdoor time. You can also help improve your school by performing a green school cafeteria audit, perform an audit of the school grounds and encourage the school to reduce waste.
Make sure your child is using an eco-friendly school backpack.
If you’re buying a new computer this season – make sure you buy a greener computer if possible. For example, I just bought an energy efficient ASUS Laptop, that even comes in recycled packaging. Computers aren’t the greenest, but you can make somewhat smarter choices. Also, be sure to responsibly dispose of the old one. Earth911.com is a great resource for finding a place to recycle electronics near you.
School shouldn’t just be green. It should also be a happy place. If you’re sick of bullies, poor teachers and an uninspired child, find resources for alternatives to public school – even for single parents.
Thanks to USAgain for sending me some of the above tips.
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