August 24, 2009
Monica Green: Going green for school
In less than 24 hours, children and teachers will be swarming the halls of schools that sat empty for nearly three months.
Back to school time also means shopping for many, as parents hit the stores this weekend for the annual tax free weekend.
One of the hot trends lately has been “going green” to help the environment. That trend has easily carried over to back to school shopping.
There are lots of easy ways parents and children can go green while going back to school.
Most major stores now carry school supplies made of recycled materials. Paper, pencils and folders are a dime a dozen at retail stores. As they gain popularity, they also go down in price.
When packing lunch boxes for your kids, consider how much waste you’re creating. According to the Container Recycling Institute, almost 20 billion plastic soda bottles are wasted yearly. Not to mention plastic yogurt containers and drink pouches. Pack the food and beverages in reusable containers and thermoses. Teach the children to bring them back each day so you can pack the next day’s lunch.
Instead of blowing all your money on back to school clothes, host a back to school clothing swap. Invite a bunch of children around the same age over and ask them to bring over some clothes that are still in style but don’t fit them anymore. It’s an easy way for kids to get new to them clothes without breaking the bank.
Buy used. This is a great tip for children and college students alike. If you are needing to stock up on books for your classes, visit used book Web sites such as half.com to save money and lessen the demand for deforestation to produce more books.
Also, buy used sporting equipment instead of brand new, especially if your children are young and will outgrow the equipment by next year.
There are many more ideas of how to save money and go green when going back to school. For more ideas, visit thedailygreen.com or search for going back to school and going green on any Internet search site.
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