It’s almost that time of year again where students are headed back-to-school and parents are looking at what supplies will be needed for the upcoming year. New pencils, notebooks, highlighters and binders seem to be on store shelves everywhere. Before you buy take a minute to think about the environmental impact you can have. You can go back-to-school green!
Here are a few tips to help you save the environment and money:
Shop Green:
•Avoid buying too many supplies by inventorying what’s already at home.
•Host a fun clothing-swap party for friends and neighbors.
•Shop for back-to-school apparel at thrift and vintage-clothing stores, giving good-quality, one-of-a-kind fashions a second life. You may also be able to find reusable school supplies such as backpacks and binders.
•Choose products with more recycled content – paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer materials, for example – and less or no packaging.
•Look for pens and pencils made with sustainably harvested wood or recycled content.
Eat Green:
•Pack waste-free lunches by using permanent containers, reusable utensils and cloth napkins.
•Choose tap water over bottled products. It’s just as good and – at less than a penny per gallon – it’s a great bargain.
•Pack lunches with local produce from a farmer’s market in your area. It’s healthy for your body and our environment.
Travel Green:
•Collaborate with other parents on a carpool for the kids to reduce pollution and traffic congestion while saving time and money.
•Explore options to safely bike and walk to school even if it’s only a couple times per month.
Reduce, reuse and recycle to go back-to-school green!
This information brought to you by Portland Public Schools and our guest contributor Ed Heide, Civil Engineer with the City of Suffolk.