Green Guide to Back-to-School

Kids outgrow clothes quickly, but here is a lifelong habit that you can instill that they'll never outgrow - and it has a positive impact on the environment! It's the Rule of Three.

Only buy an item of clothing if it matches THREE things in your wardrobe.

How it works:
1. Before you go clothes shopping, look in your closet. What do you like? These are the items to build your wardrobe around.
2. Identify things that you need to add to your wardrobe. For example, you need 1-2 nice shirts for school and you're running low on socks.
3. Go to the store. Sometimes it helps to have a list of what you have/need.
4. Only buy an item of clothing if you can identify THREE things that you currently own that would match. When you do this, you build a wardrobe quickly and inexpensively. For example, if you like a red shirt, before you can buy it you must be able to list at least three pairs of pants that you already own that it matches.

Why not check out the local thrift store? There are always treasures to be found. I buy over 50% of my clothes at thrift stores. Today I went out dancing and I had about a dozen people tell me how great I looked. Everything I was wearing was from second-hand stores!

Even if you have lots of money to spend, this strategy leaves a lighter footprint on the planet. A great gift to the planet and you because you still get lots of outfits!

Another helpful hint: Buy classic clothes. For kids this means jeans and T-shirts. Help your kid identify what is trendy and classic. Have them identify the value of buying classic clothes.

If you or your kid want to update your look, you can do this in a way that has no impact on the environment or your budget - update your hairstyle!

You may also want to start discussing the types of fibers the clothes are made from and the time it takes for them to biodegradable.

Every year kids and parents flock to stores to get supplies for the new school year. Here are some things to consider when shopping for paper:
* Purchase paper with the highest post-consumer recycled content
* Chlorine-free paper
* Paper that is made from sustainably managed forest
* Paper that is made from hemp or a "tree free" alternative

1. Printed paper
Look for the highest post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled paper. Here are some brands that you may be interested in:
* New Leaf Everest paper
* Badger Envirographic paper
* Eureka! 100 (That's 100% PCW recycled paper!)

2. Notebooks
Avoid notebooks with plastic covers. Look for a high level of PCW paper.

3. Paper clips - Look around your house first for paper clips. Avoid ones that are covered in plastic.

4. Rulers - Do you have some rulers lying around the house? If not, buy a ruler that is made of postconsumer recycled plastic. I personally like the metal rulers and have had the same for for over a decade.

5. Scissors - Check for postconsumer plastic handles.

6. Glue - As a teacher I see dozens of glue sticks left open that need to be tossed yearly. Plus you can't refill them. Perhaps it's time to shift back to the old, refillable Elmer's glue bottles.

7. Crayons - Look for ones that are made with soybean oil instead of paraffin, a petroleum-based product.

8. Pencils - Find ones that are made from recycled materials and that come in light-weight packaging. Paper Mate Earth Write recycled pencils can be found in most office supply stores.

9. Pens - Get refillable pens. Better yet get ones made from recycled materials and biodegradable cornstarch. Check out the link below to Green Earth Office Supply for pens and other supplies.

10. Colored pencils - Dixon-Ticonderoga pencils are found in lots of stores and are made from sustainably-harvested wood.

11. Markers - Buy water-based markers with refillable heads that are non-toxic. Avoid the harsh smelling, toxic permanent ones.

**information from newdream.org, grist.org, and "The Green Book"

With the price of gas on the rise, it's worthwhile looking at transport to school.

1. Bicycle - currently only 2.5%* of students who live within a two mile radius of school get there by bike. It's time to take the bike out and get it on the road for school.

2. Walk - If you live within a two mile radius and don't like to bike, walk with a group to school.

3. Bus - See if there are any public transportation buses that can take you to school.

4. Carpool - Check around to see if there are others who want to go in on a carpool to school. Perhaps, you can even organize something through your PTA to help put parents in touch with others who are interested in carpooling.