back to school: save green & go green

Filed Under Tips & Tricks | August 20, 2010

back_to_school

In honour of back to school shopping – whether it’s for preschool, kindergarten or daycare – we’ll have heaps of ideas for great products to make the school year easier, more eco-friendly and stylish next week, but before that we wanted to talk saving green (and going green) when it comes to school supplies.

For saving green, we asked Sarah Deveau, author of Money Smart Mom: Financially Fit Parenting for some tips and tricks on keeping the list of clothing and school supplies under control.
We liked her suggestion to compile an inventory. She suggests you “Empty the closets and scour the house for last year’s pencil crayons and binders. Don’t forget to check the basement or anywhere else you may have stashed clothing bought at end of season sales.” Once you know what you’ve got you can determine what gaps you need to fill. Deveau suggests figuring out what you’ll need immediately and what can wait until you find it on sale later in the year.

Deaveau also suggests setting a budget and getting your kids involved in the process so you don’t buy things they won’t wear or use. And it’s always worth keeping an eye out for flyers, coupons and deals. We also like to opt for for quality over quantity and choose items that may cost a bit more at the outset but that will last longer and save us money in the long run.

Once you know just what you’re looking for, why not see if thinking greener fits your budget?

When it comes to art supplies avoid toxins, paraffin wax and PVC  by choosing water-based paints coloured with natural, non-metal pigments; soy or beeswax crayons; pencils and pencil crayons made from recycled newspaper; and plain old glue sticks or basic white glue.

As for packing things in, you know we’re big fans of stainless steel and safer, reusable options for food in particular, so definitely look for lunch box and snack packing options that are lead, PVC and BPA-free. Remember plastics #1, 2, 4 and 5 are the “best”. And you’ll find PVC in backpacks too – so look for ones that are made from natural fibres, polyester or nylon, they’re all better than ones containing PVC. Now if only we could get someone to brave the shops for us we’d be all set…

Looking for ideas for greener, long-lasting, non-toxic art supplies? You might like:

 

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