Tips To Buying Environmentally Friendly School Supplies

Most kids are pretty darn smart and very aware of the damage we’ve already done to our environment and the work that goes on continuously to be kinder to our environment. After all it’s our children and their children that are going to pay the price for our negligence.

So when you suggest to your child that perhaps this year would be a good time to start to do their part to protect the environment by buying environmentally friendly school supplies you’ll probably get them to agree very quickly.

So how do you go about buying school supplies that are better for the environment. Well you can start by reading the labels that are on products. Supplies that are made from recycled materials are a great way to start!

There is a great selection of school supplies that are made from a variety of recycled materials. You can buy binders that are made from used boxes, recycled paper, and pencils that are made from jeans.

You can also look for refillable products such as pens, rechargeable batteries, and scotch tape. Use the back of used computer paper for scrap paper rather than purchasing scrap paper. No computer paper to use then look for scrap paper that’s recycled.

Go through the supplies you’ve already got. There are many that can be used again. Maybe a little decorating, a good cleaning and they’ll be perfect. Backpacks are often replaced every year when they may not be anything wrong with last years. Binders can also be reused and you can even consider letting your kids decorate them or cover them with fabric to give them a new look. Stickers work great too!

When you are buying school supplies choose the products that use the least amount of packaging. Nothing is more of a waste then excess packaging that goes from the store to the trash can. Did you know that packaging accounts for 40% of the waste we generate each year. By refusing to buy product that is excessively packaged you will send a strong message to the manufacturers.

You can also save on packaging by buying bulk. Rather than purchasing one pack of paper, purchase the bulk size. The kids are going to use it throughout the year and it will save you a trip back to the store. Buy pens and pencils the same way.

Each year we have to buy new clothes for our kids because they’ve outgrown them or want new styles. If the clothes still fit encourage them to create new looks by mixing old with new. If they’ve outgrown the clothes donate them to charity or someone that can continue to use them. Throwing good clothes into the trash is environmentally and socially irresponsible. There are many people that could benefit from them.

Same goes for your computer. If you’ve decided it’s time to replace your computer than don’t throw your old one in the trash. If it’s still working donate it to a school or organization that can use it or find a home that can use it. If it’s no longer working then recycle it. There are dangerous materials such as mercury, cadmium, and lead in your computer and they do not belong in a landfill.

Share you books with friends and younger students. Reuse textbooks rather than tossing them. If you don’t know of anyone that can use them donate them to a literacy organization or a used book store.

You can protect your textbooks so that they last longer by covering them with plastic or paper. If you cover them with brown paper the kids can then have fun decorating them. A textbook should last at least 5 or 6 years or until it becomes outdated. Textbooks are built to take some abuse so don’t be so quick to toss them.

Try to use nontoxic art supplies, inks, and batteries. Read the packaging and look for batteries that have less mercury and art supplies and ink that are water based or vegetable based.

If your child takes a lunch then pack it in reusable containers rather than disposable containers. Prepackaged pudding, Jell-O, and yogurt might be convenient but all this packaging places a great deal of stress on our landfills. Rather than buying tetra juice pack buy a thermos and have your kids take their drinks to school in it.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – it’s the creed we live by these days, or at least the creed we should be living by. Using the three R’s for school supplies can benefit the environment enormously and thus benefit our children in the future!

Aura Mirchandani is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory.