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Back to School Goes Green

Green Hits the Back-to-School Scene

By Laura Meyer
Published: Aug 11, 2008

Eco-conscious moms breed eco-savvy kids. This fall, send your kids back to school loaded with school supplies they'll love for the eco-coolness factor. With more and more green products hitting the market, greening the contents of your child's backpack is easier than ever.

Packing it up

Speaking of that backpack, ditch the PVC (vinyl) that so many of those cute kid-themed backpacks are made of. PVC is one of the worst environmental offenders. Instead, opt for some of these hip alternatives:

Hybrid.transport bags by Keen

The name of this line alone sounds like its right up the alley for that kid who's too cool for school. At Keen it's all about the new "3-R's": reduce, reuse and recycle. Keen, a company best known for their shoes, looked at their factory floors, at the aluminum molds, rubber trimming, even soda cans, and saw more than scraps. They take these scraps, tear them up, melt them down, and put them to use as something new. Check out the Morrison backpack: It's a bit pricey but this bag can handle it all with lots of great compartments. For the older kid, there's even a sleeve for a laptop. Buy it at: zappos.com, $104 for the Morrison

The Cinch Backpack by Ecolution

These sweatshop-free backpacks are designed and manufactured using organic hemp. They are 100% vegan, containing no products from animal exploitation such as leather or wool. Buy it at: rawganique.com, $46

Waste-Free lunches

With all the talk about lunch boxes containing lead, phylates, bisphenol and other chemicals that are believed to be either carcinogens or hormone disrupters, and with a focus on producing less waste, its good to know that there is a lunchbox that's been designed to be good for the body, good for the planet and fun for kids.

The Laptop Lunch System by Obentec

Inspired by the Japanese bento box, the Laptop Lunch container features a hinged outer container, four inner food containers, a dip container and a set of utensils. The boxes come in an assortment of fun colors and kids love the compartments because they fit together like a puzzle. The containers are reusable, recyclable and dishwasher safe, free of any materials that are suspected carcinogens or hormone disrupters, and make it easy for families to to use less disposable packaging. If you buy the whole system, you will also get an insulated carrying case that resembles a laptop bag, an ID tag, water bottle and mesh pocket for an ice pack. An added bonus: The lunch boxes even come with a guide for making healthy lunches that kids love including creative tips for dealing with picky eaters.

Buy it at: laptoplunches.com. The full laptop lunch system, $34.99, The Bento Box alone, $20.99 (purchases are discounted if you buy more than one).

The Homework Supplies

TreeSmart Newspaper Pencils

Help your kids save the forests with pencils made from rolled up recycled newspapers. These high-quality pencils sharpen easily and are as hard as traditional pencils which are made from wood. Because they are not painted or decorated, children will find interesting designs in the newsprint. According to TreeSmart, for every 2 foot stack of newspapers that gets recycled, a 20 ft. pine tree can be saved.

Buy it at: treesmart.com, 72 pack, $26

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