The excitement of going back to school is in the air. As summer wraps up and you start preparing for the big day, there are ways to make this year more “ECO-nomical and ECO-friendly”. There are many lessons to learn even before the first bell rings.
The average American family will spend $594 this year on back-to-school purchases. The typical school tosses 38 tons of paper a year, which kills 644 trees. Six billion pens are trashed and left for U.S. landfills each year. The statistics are staggering. We are all guilty of bad habits that need to be replaced with better ones, if we want to bring up our failing grade of “F” in Earth Friendliness.
Let’s start with backpacks, something most school aged children use everyday. First, think back to this summer, when we had the worst oil spill in U.S. History. What is the connection with back to school? We learned from the Gulf disaster that we all need to take steps to minimize our dependency on petroleum, which means using less plastic, nylon and other synthetic fibers for all our purchases. Consider hemp or other natural fibers, or look for a unique recycled-rubber backpack. You might want to check out Terracycle.com, where they turn old juice pouches into funky packs and use recycled school supplies in creative ways.
Did you know that the average elementary student contributes their weight in disposable products each year to the landfill? While it is most economical to take your lunch to school, you must be prepared with the right tools. Reusable sandwich bags, stainless steel bowls and cloth napkins will not only help the environment and the landfill, they are certain to save significant money in your household. Consider the amount of plastic and paper you can also save with these few, easy changes.
On top of all those savings, think about your family’s good health as a great side benefit to buying smarter products and being an informed shopper. Everyone knows that lead is quite toxic, but you may be surprised that it can be found in the vinyl lining of lunch bags. The Center for Environmental Health tested over 200 different lunch bags in 2006 and found lead in many of them. Even low levels of lead exposure are known to cause health concerns, especially behavioral and hearing problems in children. These seemingly safe products could be contributing to health issues, so do some research before buying. In case you’re planning to use last year’s model, spend a few bucks on a lead test kit for reassurance.
To round out your eco-friendly student’s lunch, invest in a quality stainless steel water bottle, it will last for many years. In Australia, there are schools that have banned bottled water and America should follow suit. Do an Internet search on “reasons to avoid bottled water” and you’ll see dozens of solid arguments against it, too many to list here. I can assure you that bottled water is a complete waste of money and natural resources.
Lower your carbon footprint even further by looking at your shopping list closely. Every ton of paper requires about 17 virgin trees, so recycled paper is the best bet (it has recently become more competitively priced). Look into renting or swapping books instead of buying them. Buy nice clothes at consignment stores for a fraction of the cost of new.
“Opportunity knocks” in the eco-education area at back-to-school time. Be an informed consumer of products. Shop smart, but only shop if you must. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. You might even take an organic apple for your teacher!
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