Back-to-School Tips for the Elementary Crowd

Photo by Avolore

It's back-to-school time! With only a few weeks left until the unofficial end of summer, it's time to review some green basics for going back to class as eco-friendly as possible. I've got one kiddo in elementary school, and there's a lot of "stuff" needed to get him back to school, between the supply list required by the school and the obligatory clothing, shoes, backpacks, lunch gear and so on. If you want to be as eco-friendly and low-consumption as possible, here are some tips to get you started.

• Look before you leap. Before hitting the stores, take a look at what you already have. Comparing my son's supply list to my office supply drawers, I found that I already had plenty of new crayons, a pencil box and several other required items I had scooped up on clearance last year knowing they'd be needed. I just had to make a list of the required items we didn't have, roughly half the total list. Next up was the closet -- it's still going to be hot here in Texas for a long time after school starts, so taking an inventory of my son's clothes revealed all we really need is a few newer, non-stained T-shirts, some new sneakers and a new backpack. We purchased fresh lunch supplies last spring at Reuseit.com, so we're good to go on that front.
• Time to shop! Almost half of the money spent on back to school shopping goes to buying clothes, but it's extremely easy to cut the cost. Hand-me-downs, children's resale shops and consignment sales are a great place to get started -- children often outgrown clothing faster than they can damage it, so it's often pretty easy to find like-new clothes at a fraction of the cost of new ones. If you do buy new, look for well-made, high-quality items made from more sustainable fabrics like organic cotton or bamboo. For school supplies, look for items made from recycled materials, and choose only what you need. Stick to the list!
• Watch your paper usage. For elementary schools, paper is still the norm rather than email or the Internet. Each year, 240 pounds of waste are generated per student! Buy notebooks and loose-leaf paper with the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled content possible, and make sure it is processed chlorine free (PCF). Use the paper until it screams for mercy -- print on both sides of the paper, use paper already printed on one side for drafts and notes, and fill notebooks from cover to cover before switching to a new one.
• Take lunch responsibly. Opt for a washable, reusable container to tote lunch in instead of brown paper bags. Avoid vinyl lunch boxes, which can contain harmful levels of lead -- try PVC-free, thermally insulated lunch bags, old-fashioned metal lunch boxes or organic cotton lunch sacks. Keep food cool by freezing water or juice in a reusable container that will melt down by lunchtime. Instead of using plastic bags or wrap for sandwiches, use an easy-to-clean Wrap-n-Mat or other washable sandwich bag (Reuseit.com has a ton of options.) The Laptop Lunch box system is also a great option with individual containers for food and drinks. For drinks, steer clear of plastic bottles that may contain Bisphenol-A (BPA), a hormone-disrupting chemical, and opt for metal bottles such as Sigg or Klean Kanteen. As for the actual food, get your kids involved in choosing their lunches, since they'll be less likely to throw away food if they want to eat it. Choose fresh fruit, veggies, cheese, nitrate-free lunch meats, and fresh milk or water for a solid lunch, then toss in a couple homemade cookies for a sweet treat.
• Decide how to get there. If you live close to your school, consider walking or biking to class for the least environmental impact. If that's not possible, consider taking the bus -- even though most school buses get low mileage per gallon, they often carry 60 or more kiddos, making them a cleaner option than cars. If none of these options work, try to arrange a carpool to share the load. 

Thanks to my good friends over at Reuseit.com, Modern*Simplicity readers can use the code SIMPLE for free domestic shipping on orders of $25 or more. Code expires Monday, August 8. One code per customer, cannot be combined with other coupon codes.