Yup, it’s that unfortunate time of year again: when all the magazines have their “Back to School!” issues and teens around the world begin to realize that the freedom of summer is slowly coming to an end. Not that I really want to think about school supplies, or anything having to do with school for that matter, but this year I have vowed to go as green as I possibly can, without bankrupting my parents. I was thinking: why not buy green school supplies?
Over the course of the school year, I tend to waste some paper, and lose many pens and pencils, so why not go green? I did some research on where I could find these products, and to my surprise, I found that stores such as Office Max, Office Depot, and Staples all carry some green supplies (I can shop online as well…just in case I want to savor my summer laziness even more than I already do). Other options are greenlinepaper.com (which is best for recycled paper, notebooks, and binders), and redapplesupply.com (which has a bigger variety of green school supplies).
Then I realized this: if the inside of my backpack is eco-friendly, why shouldn’t the outside be green too? So commenced the start of my search for a green backpack. I found greenearthofficesupply.com, which has recycled rubber and hemp bags (and the bags aren’t ugly, they’re actually pretty attractive!) I also came across hemp-sisters.com, which has bigger backpacks that look exactly like regular harmful ones (and most are under $30).
If these websites don’t have what you’re looking for, chances are that grist.org will. They have loads of links and suggestions for going green in school and staying in a budget.
