Going Back To School Green

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This month, the Green Mom’s Carnival topic is Back to School.

August is traditionally the Back to School month where students stock up on what they’ll need for the school year. What usually comes to mind when you think “Back to School”? I immediately think supplies. Backpacks, pencils, pens, erasers, cases, notebooks, calculators, folders…etc. The list can get pretty lengthy! It’s no wonder parents go broke over school supplies each year. That’s not even including clothing or lunch money (both for splurge and for making).

I can remember, when I started high school my mom would give each of us $100 (3 of us = $300). With that money we had to buy our clothes and supplies. She always made our lunches and sometimes would leave two dollars on the days we didn’t have a lunch.

With the $100 dollars, I was smart. I had to make it last. The only way to do this was to shop second-hand. I’d fill up an entire cart of vintage clothes at “The American Way” and felt like I had an entirely new wardrobe when I walked out. It was a good feeling.

I bought very little school supplies since we usually had some in our home or I’d have some leftover from the previous year. I can remember when recycled paper was a big deal. It was a grayish brown color (usually stood out) and it was actually cheaper in cost. Yes, it was actually cheaper. For me, it was recycled paper so it won my support. I’m pretty sure if you wanted to buy it now it’d cost more than non (since it’s white now).

Today, you can find a number of green school supplies on the market .There are many choices that can make a difference when thinking about sustainability, schools, and our kids. When I think green and education I envision recycling symbols too! That means every school should be recycling and attempt to limit waste. My own community has trouble with this and it is my hope that this year we can get more schools AND kids on board to recycle. Our children should practice awareness while learning at school and at home!

While most of us remember brown bag lunches a good portion of us remember the huge stainless steel lunch boxes before we started “brown bagging it”.  In elementary I rocked the an E.T Aladdin lunch box. But, then they went plastic…Yuck, and I’m pretty sure I had one of those too- but I think that’s when the brown paper sacks came into my life. My mom was tired of us either A. leaving them at school or B. breaking them. In our brown bag lunch everything was always packaged in a Ziploc bag and if it wasn’t it was wrapped up in other plastic junk. We always had a Capri-Sun or juice box. Tons of packaging, tons of waste.

My son is only two years old, while he hasn’t attended his first day of school yet; I’ve certainly packed a lunch for him for a play date, day with grandparents, excursions, etc. In doing so I try to be mindful and conscience about the planet. There are so many ways you can get creative when packing lunches. The key is to keep it waste free when possible. Less litter, means less plastic packaging going into our landfills.

Use a handkerchief or dishtowel to wrap up sandwiches or use as napkins. Cut old dish towels in half for easier wrapping and napkin use. Think of it this way, handkerchief/dishtowel serve as a place mat, a napkin and storage!!! Aluminum, parchment paper, and wax paper and also better alternatives to plastic but still create waste. Make sure when you do use aluminum that you recycle it (assuming it’s free of gunk). Use any plastic containers you have in the home for snacks and such. You can always find some re-usable snack sacks on Etsy. Also, if you pack a lunch that requires a fork or spoon they know have nifty To-Go Ware, look into it. They’re handy to have.

Creating waste free snacks is simple. It does require a little bit of plan and prep. These days with all the High Fructose Corn Syrup going into everything, baking cookies or other delicious sweets are a great alternative. Freshly cut up fruits and veggies (organic and local whenever possible) are always an easy snack. You could even puree some fruit and make fruit leathers, no dehydrator required. Homemade granola is another great option. Amy at the Crunchy Domestic Goddess talks about making your own yogurt for kiddies and has a few granola recipes to choose from.

Your kids will love you for making and putting homemade yummy treats into their lunch box, bentos, cloth sack or re-used plastic bag. Besides that, all the other kids will want YOUR child’s lunch because it has homemade goodies inside and it’s packaged differently. You really can’t beat it! Save money in the long run. You’ll be happy knowing you’re feeding your child nutritious snacks and saving the planet. Another added bonus: your child will be setting an wonderful example!

Through this blog, I’ve had the opportunity to review two eco lunch related items and I’d like to recommend them to you. We use them all the time and they’re both equally fantastic.

- Lunchsense Lunch box

Perfect for school lunches!

- Lunchbots

Stainless steel storage containers.

Make sure to visit Organic Mania on August 10th to find out how other Green Moms are going green this school year!