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A green back-to-school shopping list
We all know that being eco-conscious, doing nice things for the environment, is a good thing.
I make a reasonable effort, like separating my recycling each week, donating old fast-food joint toys rather than trashing them, and buying "green" cleaning products that my husband thinks smell like death.
I am starting to understand that the wastefulness of Back-to-School time is akin to hosting my own mini oil spill every September. Most of the crap we, as parents, buy for our kids is plastic, toxic, kills kittens, or contains enough paper to have used up all the trees in the southwest corner of a medium-sized rainforest.
Since I have all sorts of extra time on my hands these long summer days with no camp with which to occupy my needy children, I decided to do some research. The result is a Back-to-School shopping list that should make us all a little greener.
Back-to-School Must-Haves for Eco-Conscious Kids:
1. Ergonomically-correct hemp backpack in bright orange with a retro-looking cartoon character on it making a peace sign with his hand/paw/wing. (Bonus points if you bought it on Etsy.)
2. Biodegradable hand-carved pencils personalized with names such as Orion, Petal, Lotus and Cloud. (You may have to re-name your kid to make this happen...but really, it's The Right Thing To Do.)
3. Toxin-free, 100% cotton wardrobe dyed with vegetables purchased from your local CSA. (What, you say? You have no time for this? Do you want to be held personally responsible for murdering beautiful Mother Earth??)
4. Hand-washable lunch sacks made from recycled Moon Boots. (Each Moon Boot produces 287 sacks. You'll be set for a while.)
5. Refurbished iPhone Junior loaded with apps like How to FreeCycle My Education. (Also helpful: The How To Tie My Own Shoes app.)
6. Collection tote for bringing leftovers home from the school cafeteria to your back yard compost bin. (I smell an after-school play date activity!)
7. Probiotic smoothie and gluten-free flaxseed carob bars in glass containers for snack break. (Child safety, be damned!)
8. Spine-aligning light-up shoes whose manufacturing process, ironically, left no footprint. (Lit by volunteer farm-raised, cage-free fireflies, of course.)
Sure, buying all this stuff might take up so much time and money that we all go immediately broke. Just try to think of moving from your 4-bedroom colonial to the back of your minivan as a wonderful step in the right direction for the environment, which is a great example to set for your newly eco-conscious children.
Happy shopping, everyone!
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Comments (13)
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Report Tue Apr 2, 2013 - 8:27 pmTurmel writes, "These people just lead, regardless of their job titles or positions. They are proactive, they lead by example and step up when things need to be done or the tough decisions made. While they are not "Leadership" (the position), they simply demonstrate leadership ( the trait).Reply -
Report Sat Sep 8, 2012 - 11:37 pmI think there are some moms in my town who follow most of these rules. In fact, I know there are. Because they remind me how I'm killing the earth as they stare at my kid's environmentally-incorrect Dora the Explorer backpack and planet-killing Stride Rites.Reply
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1 reply, Last reply by Kim at Let Me Start By Saying on Sun Sep 9, 2012 at 6:02 am
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Report Sat Sep 8, 2012 - 9:34 pmMy mom was always green when it came to back-to-school shopping! We ripped out the used pages of our notebooks instead of getting new ones. SO eco-friendly and SO chic.Reply
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1 reply, Last reply by Kim at Let Me Start By Saying on Sun Sep 9, 2012 at 6:00 am
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Sat Sep 8, 2012 - 1:50 am
I live in an area where all of these things (except maybe the fireflies) really happen. (The fireflies are out because animal activist groups protested.) I want to buy those reusable lunch sack things instead of ziplock bags, but at $11 a pop, I never can bring myself to do it!Reply -
1 reply, Last reply by Kim at Let Me Start By Saying on Sat Sep 8, 2012 at 5:12 am
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Fri Sep 7, 2012 - 9:05 pm
This is great! Love it all.Reply -
1 reply, Last reply by Kim at Let Me Start By Saying on Fri Sep 7, 2012 at 11:44 pm
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Fri Sep 7, 2012 - 6:15 pm
Genius. I've renamed the children as follows: Hempley, Sprout, and Gaia. Oh, and I changed the baby's name to the recycling symbol.Reply -
1 reply, Last reply by Kim at Let Me Start By Saying on Fri Sep 7, 2012 at 7:29 pm
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Report Fri Sep 7, 2012 - 4:31 pmI loved your entire list. Where can I send my check to ease my conscious of all my Eco guilt?Reply
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1 reply, Last reply by Kim at Let Me Start By Saying on Fri Sep 7, 2012 at 7:29 pm
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