In previous posts I’ve detailed “HOT” back-to-school fashion trends for students and flashback fashion ideas for moms. Today I’m revealing a new trend that is gaining popularity with both kids and parents—“green” school supplies.
You’ve heard about homes “going green” and “green travel,” so you had to know that it was simply a matter of time before the must-have items in your child’s classroom went “green” as well. Want to show your kids how to save the planet? Then stock them up with the following environmentally friendly school supplies.
Office Depot (along with other office supply stores and discount chains) carries crayons made from soybeans instead of chemicals, and kid-sized scissors made from recycled plastic. They even sell rulers made from recycled bicycle tires and binders made out of recycled circuit boards. But the “green” item that is generating the most heat is the new solar backpack that helps students charge their iPod or cell phone—minus the plugs. The backpack uses energy from its built-in solar panel instead of having kids pull power from the electricity grid.
But the classroom is not the only place in school where lessons in recycling are being put to the test. The school cafeteria is another place where kids can incorporate planet-saving tactics. For example, many parents are now packing “zero-waste” lunches for their children. The meals feature organic foods and reusable water bottles and containers, which come home each day so they can be washed and used again. It’s called “zero-waste” because it doesn’t produce trash. Other parents choose to use “green” sandwich wrap. A company has invented a sandwich wrap that can be washed and reused in an effort to cut down on the 22,000 pounds of lunch waste created by our nation’s school kids each year.
Other ways to “go green” in the school include purchasing organic clothing for your kids. Some companies have even started making “green” shoes from recycled materials. It may require making a few changes to your daily school routine (and it will add a few extra dishes to the dishwasher), but teaching kids to incorporate these “green” ideas and items is a great way to promote awareness. Not only are they learning how to make choices that are healthy for them, but they are also learning how their choices will benefit the environment.
Related Articles:
Fashion Forward: Bulletproof Backpacks
Fashion Forward: Going Organic
Going Green-Part 1: What is A Green Home?
Going Green Part 2—“Green” Paint