8.10.2008
mod*mom giveaway :: 3 boxes of eco-friendly back to school supplies $150whole foods market wants to prepare mod*mom readers for back to school!
can you believe it?! it’s time to start thinking about back to school. in addition to finding out about classes, teachers, schedules + readjusting to waking up to an alarm clock, back to school is the perfect opportunity to embrace a more eco-conscious lifestyle, from shampoo to an outfit for the first day of school to binders, backpacks, books + lunch!
tip 1: look for organic + chemical free personal care + body products. for a complete list of chemicals to avoid, check out the skin deep database.tip 2: incorporate green into your clothing choices for the 1st day of school. cotton is among the most pesticide-laden + water-intensive crops in the world, which is why purchasing organic cotton is so vital. eco-fashion can be everything from vintage to recycled fibers like bamboo, hemp, recycled denim, + even cork for shoes!
tip 3: when shopping for school supplies, purchase recycled binders + post-consumer notebooks + dividers, like those by new leaf paper (made in the usa + available at whole foods market). look into refillable or recycled pens + pencils, auspen markers, mainstream office supply stores + companies with green initiatives, + online eco-office supply databases.
tip 4: save money + trees by reusing + recycling reading materials! visit the library, research on the web, swap books + look for used books at local or online stores.
to enter to win a selection of fabulous eco-friendly back to school supplies, leave me a comment telling me your favorite "eco-friendly" back-to-school tips, before midnight, monday september 1 (back to school podcast)(include your email address + your url, so i can contact you when you win!)
by
~mod*mom~ at
10.8.08 ©
201 Comments:
Give clothing and school supplies like backpacks that are gently used and outgrown to charities so they can be reused!!
hand me downs!
wmduncATyahoo.com
All of my son's clothes are handed down to a friends son, who hands down, etc.
I always send my son with a reusable water bottle instead of disposables. When I send snacks, I generally make organic homemade treats in a reusable container. And I recycle all of the coloring pages he brings home...either as wrapping paper or a note pad or stationary!
I always buy organic shirts from American Apparel to start out my year. And I would never ever miss a chance to buy vintage clothing & accessories, so when I need a new bag or tote, I always buy vintage or thrift it.
Using recycled paper (plus my other tips) are always conversation starters...so it's a win-win situation!
I think that it is key to buy good quality supplies that don't need replacing every year. Backpacks, winter coats, good boots, nice quality binders, can be used for more than just a single year, and sometimes passed on to younger siblings. I think that this really applies to art supplies too. Good markers last longer than cheapie throwaways!
It is so hard to pick just one tip. Reusable water bottles, hand me downs and good quality supplies for what we do buy.
i shop from home on ebay for all my children's clothes. i think buying second-hand clothes is recyling. i save gas and money too. my daughter is excited to take her new sigg bottle to school.
Love the tip about recycling reading material.
Buying recycled binders and other items. I reuse ours and once the kids are done with it I turn it into a photo album. Plus I shop at goodwill, thrift shops etc for clothes.
I can't wait till they put text books in ebook so then we can use ereaders and save tons of trees
Lunch bags that are reusable, as well as not using plastic baggies and disposable items.
peggie dot loden at gmail dot com
I like the idea of reducing plastic bag use by using something like the Wrap and Mat (http://www.wrap-n-mat.com/). Also good would be to reuse old binders if they're still in good condition. Kids can cut out magazine images and glue them to the front (or tuck them in the clear outer pocket that some of them have). It allows them to have a unique, creative binder too!
Reusable water bottles. Also now have to include the Auspen markers - how cool those are.
Thanks,
Maureen (jnomaxx at hotmail dot com)
Shop at thrift stores/garage sales for back to school items. Its eco-friendly and not everyone will have what you have.
luckydolls123[at]verizon[dot]net
Pack lunches using everything reusable. Buying large packages and making own single sixe to cut down on package waster. And cheaper too!
My fav. tip is to make sure you take advantage of hand me downs.
no need to use ziploc baggies everyday! Or even throw away napkins! they will bring it home in their lunch box. use plastic (BPA free containers) and linen Napkins. have a few set for everyone and no throw away waste!
reusable water bottles is my pick
I pack lunches using everything reusable. With a reusable water bottle.
We got my daughter a water bottle for school instead of the disposable ones. We also send her with a lunch box instead of paper bag lunches.
samsakara@twcny.rr.com
I prefer to use reusable water bottles!
Reusable water bottles
We always buy recycled paper, and notebooks. You can also use hand me downs, and try garage sales. Thanks so much for the opportunity.
planetmisty at gmail dot com
we use our backpacks more than one year if they are still in decent shape and not falling apart!
frogz60@hotmail.com
My eco-friendly tip is to take the bus instead of driving there.
krystal82107@hotmail.com
Inventory what you have first. Look all around the house to see what's left over from last year or what fell behind the desk that you never even realized was there. Chances are, you'll find some pens, pencils, paper, etc that you didn't even realize you had.
That way, you're buying less and leaving less waste.
i'd like to see kids walking to school again and might submit this idea to all the "eco-conscious" kids in the schools, sort of a challenge...
donate what you don't need that does not fit or have a neighborhood trade of clothes for the right size
We try to use reusable items in the lunchbox ... We use hand-me-down clothes.... We walk to and from the bus stop.
We stopped at an outlet mall on our way home from vacation and did all our shopping in a single stop.
Reusable wate bottles is both ecofriendly and inexpensive.
Encourage walking to school for older kids.
Put a damp wash cloth in a baggie in their lunch.They can use that to clean up after lunch,hands,table, etc., put back in baggie, and u throw it in the laundry.Saves on paper usage.
Whole Food Market Hinsdale, IL
lunch boxes not bags
Use tupperware, not ziplocs
twincere@hotmail.com
We use tupperware and re use water bottles.
Reusable Lunch bags.
Re washable lunch containers
Re washable spoons, fork, knife
refillable water/drink bottle
Cloth napkin to wash
Get supplies from charities
Give charities those supplies that you no longer need.
When at all possible we always purchase organic :
pencils,paper clothing and lunch bags.Clothing is also passed from child to child.
Thank you so much for offering this wonderful giveaway.
I would LOVE to win !!
Lunch Here is what I do. Use a reusable water bottle, even though it is plastic I do not throw it away as I use it to hold sandwich - I can wash this over and over and not have to use ziploc bags....I do the same for veggies/fruit. I have had the same containers for several years.
I like reusable containers for lunch. Thank you for this giveaway!
I buy my daughter's clothes through a second hand store.
Use lunch boxes instead of brown bags. The kids like them better anyway because they can feature their favorite characters!
KatinaSharp@aol.com
KatinaSharp.blogspot.com
Have the kids walk, or take the bus to school.(don't drive them) Lunch boxes, not zip bags.
Buy used whenever possible and if not look for clothes/supplies etc that are made with recycled or eco-friendly materials. I also try to pack a mostly organic lunch for my daughter. Thanks!
-Hayley
oreo89[at] gmail [dot] com
reusable water bottles
I buy everything at yard sales, thrift stores, and on clearance. I also use every coupon I can!
I reuse items year after year, especially backpacks, and lunch bags. We also by items in bulk rather then the more expensive and wastefull individually packaged items. What a wonderful giveaway, thank you for doing that!
WALK to school!
gkstratos@yahoo.com
We also use tupperware in lunches and many times I will put a cloth instead of paper too since you can just pull it out each day and rewash it. Thank you!
We use reusable containers, such as tupperware sandwich containers and reusable water containers.
legacyofbrutalitysa{AT}gmail.com
We homeschool and some things we do are reusing paper for scrap paper, hand down books or give them to others that will use them.
betskev at earthlink dot net
We buy new clothes, but I also pick up a couple things at garage sales in the summer. We always pass on our clothes, shoes, backpacks, etc., to friends or charities.
Instead of juice boxes, we try to use a thermos for drinks. Instead of plastic wrap in lunches, we use reusable containers or bento boxes.
Walk to school...good exercise...great for environment
We do not use platic bags, we use reuseable ziplock conainers.
My daughter in law has the lunch thing down pat....she has four children; each has a good lunch bag that lasts from year to year and the same with water bottle, back pack,etc from the High school age right down to the pre-schooler.
Each fall they have certain people they pass clothes on to and others who pass clothes on to their children. Any they don't have people to pass on to go to charity.
Reusable lunch bags
Work with your children to make back-to-school a green event. Make it a game: plastic wrap vs. reusable container, home-made glue vs. store bought...and watch them buy into being green. Might as well educate them before sending them off to be educated.
garage sales are excellent. But, I found a site-Stubby Pencil Studios- which sells eco-friendly products. I especially like the Smencils, they are scented and made from recycled newspaper- I gave the to all 5 of my grandkids.
In FL my kids need to bring bottled water everyday- I use refillable ones!
Backpacks should be able to last more than one year, and anything else that can be reused gets reused(including BPE free plastic containers for lunch instead of throwaway bags). We buy recycled products whenever possible, too.
Stop using plastic bags.If possible use eco friendly paper bags or reusable bags.
We always try to search for used items before we buy new. Not only does it save us money but it's also friendlier for the environment. Tip 4 is our family favourite!
file(dot)secord(at)gmail(dot)com
We recieve hand me down clothes from the fam, we also give our hand me downs to other fam, friends or neighbors. All of us in our household have a sigg bottle and we love to use them.
I check out thrift stores before buying new. Saves me a ton of money every year.
Use recycled products whenever possible. There are so many out there now.
pintolinda (at) hotmail (dot) com
I donate all my used clothes & school bags to orphanages where they dont have much.
conanan2006@yahoo.com
Garage sales!! Friends who have older kids! I also donate my items to a friend first, then if not needed, to a charity. cookiecutter72 at hotmail dot com
We reuse as much as possible - food bags, water bottles, backpacks, clothes..etc.
This would be a great prize, thanks.
Thank you for having this! With 2 starting first grade in a few weeks this would be wonderful. Every year before school we go through their closet and take all their clothes that no longer fit to the Shelter in town. That way they are not wasted and used in a great way.
Prevent waste by not loading their lunches with stuff you know they will not eat just because you are intimidated by the lunchbox police!
Use reusable water bottles (sigg), pack in reusable lunch containers and carry your lunch in a lead-free lunch box
lifeglutenfree [at] gmail [dot]] com
I reuse by shoping thrift stores first
I use reusable lunch bags and water bottles. Also, hnd me down clothes for my son.
I use reusable lunch bags and water bottles. Also, hnd me down clothes for my son.
many of us moms at school share clothes. It saves us all a lot of money!
We use lunchboxes with plastic reuseable conainers. {no more plastic bags) And a reusable water bottle. We always use cotton clothing too :)
thanks for the great contest!
I use reusable lunch boxes, containers, water bottles, and silverware.
Thanks!
emmarleed[at]hotmail[dot]com
I recycle everything possible.
I'm a teenager and what teens really want are tote bags. I personally love them because you can use them over and over again. I'm looking for the perfect one for the upcoming school year. Got any hints??????
We send reuseable bottles for drinks at school, in a recycled lunch tote.
Send your child to school with something to drink in reusable container. Hopefully this will help them avoid the soda machines.
I recycle all I can!
kristilb19@yahoo.com
I'll be sending my son off to school with a wrap and mat for sandwiches and a reusable water bottle. I also get a lot of clothes for my son from my friends, whose children have outgrown them.
laylarenee[at]cfl.rr.com
Green our America
Reuse leftovers from last year.
Using reusable lunches for your kids really teaches them the meaning of saving in a simple way, even without them knowing it :)
Our youngest son uses most of his brother's backpacks and left over notebooks and other supplies. Thanks, Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
Re-use, recycle, pass on to others. Throw away as little as possible.
I buy a lot of my kids clothes from consignment and thrift stores. I also buy a high quality reusable lunch box (that won't fall apart after half a year!) and pack a waste-free lunch whenever possible.
Buy local! I love our neighborhood farm!
Get one of those insulated lunch bags for your kids that way you can use it over and over.
We save small containers and water bottles for our kids to use when they take a lunch to school! It saves on baggies and we don't have to buy a bunch of brand name storage containers!
We use reusable containers for lunches so we're not throwing away so many plastic baggies.
My idea is pretty simple. Walk your kids to school instead of driving them if you live close enough. This is inspired by the fact that my town is only about a square mile and so many people drive everywhere. It baffles me! We walk almost everywhere...even if it's on the other side of town. If you walk you don't use gas and you and your kids get a little exercise.
Great giveaway!
scblog at hotmail dot com
No doubt...reusable containers for lunches!
use public transportation instead of driving in those evil things called cars, thanks for the giveaway
We do a lot of shopping at our local Salvation Army and we take the bus to get there.
by recycled pencils made of newspapers (yes they do exist!), save a tree that way!
We have used the same backpacks since Kindergarten. That's the #1 thing I look for when they start school, a durable and long lasting backpack that they can use as long as possible.
This year, the school system is providing ALL supplies! :)
Machele - dlmlc@yahoo.com
LL bean backpacks and lunchboxes are the best! My son has used it for 3 years and it still looks new!
I don't buy prepackaged foods for lunch, we make our own treats for lunches. (more fiber that way too) and no trash!
My daughter chooses to reuse her backpack instead of having a new one every year. She also uses a reusable water bottle for her water. Almost all her clothes go to friends and Goodwill.
Reuseable lunch totes and thermoses save a lot of trash and money, plus they're a lot cuter than paper and plastic!
My son takes a reusable water bottle with him to school.
My children take reusable water bottles to school. The use a lunchbox not a paper bag.
Hand me down clothes and recycling school papers!
always take lunch to school from home in a reusable lunch box
Buying your textbooks used from online sites will save you BIG! When my kids were smaller, I always impressed upon them the need to bring home their lunch bags so we could use them again. They've been recyclers for a long time.
My friends and I swap clothes for our kids....and I love using oilcloth lunch bags instead of paper. Thanks!
Megret
musesofmegret (at) gmail (dot) com
We reuse everything around here, from clothes to binders to empty diaper wipe containers.
We use reusable containers and bottles for lunches and also buy backpacks and lunchboxes that can be reused instead of ones that fall apart right away.
we buy almost all of our clothing from thrift stores or ebay to reduce our spending and to reduce manufacturing waste.
alexandra dot hancock at gmail dot com
We also do most of our clothes shopping at thrift stores and offer handmedowns to neighborhood families. But, my favorite eco-friendly tip is to donate a couple bottles of all-natural, non-toxic home made all-purpose cleaner and some rags to the teachers instead of bringing in the disposable wipes, I also collect the rags each week and wash them for the class.
My mom's group does a clothing swap before school so that every family can restock for the coming school year without busting the budget or throwing away unwanted items!
williamsmother2003@yahoo.com
if your job does food drives have them do backpack and school supplies drive, contact a shelter to deliver the collected items to.
have kids take their lunch in reuable bags and use tupperware for sandwishes and chips instead of plastic bags.
i would love to win. such an awesome giveaway.
debra.pauley@yahoo.com
finish last year's left-over supplies before shopping for this year. Which also means you may not need to shop until the autumn sales!
Use a reuseable lunch bag and sandwich wrap, instead of disposable products every day.
urchiken at gmail dot com
We are big Tupperware fans at our house. Lunch items go in these plastic containers and get washed at night. We're trying to limit the amount of plastic put back into our environment!
organic lunches. Or better yet, stuff from your own garden.
dangotmail AT yahoo DOT com
We re-use as many of last year's school supplies as we can. I also taught my son to write on both sides of the paper to use less. When my oldest son's school supplies are just too worn out, they get passed on to my youngest son who plays pretend school with them.
I always buy organic shirts from American Apparel to start out my year.
we buy a lot of used clothing and create a lot of stuff that we need!
We use reusable lunch things instead of ziploc bags, etc.
We also try to buy at consignment shops.
legacyofbrutalitysa{AT}gmail.com
It looks like others have already given my answers, but here goes . . .
We send lunches in reusable containers, gratefully accept hand-me-downs from friends, and I save my scrap paper from work for art projects.
cdrury@gmail.com
resuable containers - sorary I am not more original!
Lunch boxes rather than bags
rosans4@comcast.net
Walk to school if possible, and take a bus or carpool otherwise.
ikkinlala AT yahoo DOT ca
Hand me downs, trade gently used backpacks amongst friends or siblings and use reusable lunch gear instead of plastic, plastic and more plastic!
Lunch boxes, rather than bags.
My tip is to buy off etsy.com!
It is all handmade items and there is alot of recycled and upcycled items there.
-Shelly
Shellydelight@gmail.com
http://shellydelight.etsy.com
I like tip #4, book swapping. Check out Bookmooch.com!
We spend the summer scouring yard sales for "new to us" clothes. I also use safe plastic water bottles for the lunch box! m_huston(at)hotmail(dot)com
pack organic lunches for a healthy snack for kids
We reuse as many school items from the year before as we can. We also shop for products, such as notebooks, that can be recycled when they are no longer of use, being sure to avoid the ones with plastic covers.
michelle at northofthe49 dot com
We use lunchboxes instead of paper bags and my kids put all of their empty baggies or packaging inside the lunchbox to come home and reuse or recycle.
doot65{at}comcast[dot]net
Elizabeth
Reusable water bottles
We are going to try to give up juice boxes this year. They are so convienient, but so wasteful and very expensive. We are going to use those green bottles and pray they don't leak all over the lunchbox and backpack.
we rarely buy new clothes and since we homeschool, we reuse books over and over again!
I love to do garage saling. So in a way that is hand me down clothes. Often times you can find little girls dresses that are practically brand new!
Abby
www.stealsdeals.blogspot.com
ajcmeyer AT go DOT com
Reusable water bottles
my kids walk to school which saves us gas money :)
i like the tip on recycling reading material.
Reusable Water Bottles and Cooler bags Icetwofire[at]aol[dot]com
reuseable water bottles
reuseable water bottles
i like the idea of recylced binders.
of course reusable lunch bags, boxes and thermos (filled with local organic foods!). I also carry around a washcloth for hand drying (i started doing this after traveling to japan where this is the norm).
My daughter takes the same items she had left from last year. We also have a scavenger hunt throughout the house for supplies instead of buying everything. it is amazing how much we have in our storeroom.
We have our kids save all their supplies from last year. We rarely buy school supplies except when things are broken to the point of disrepair. After doing this I began to notice how much time and money we were saving. I can't beleive that some parents buy all new binders ect. every year! We also have our kids use re-useable lunch boxes instead of brown bags when they bring their lunch.
Thanks!
bwaybabe912@yahoo.com
Make pencil cases that you can wash and reuse, instead of buying a new one every year. Also, donate what you have in extra, even if it's new. So many parents can't afford buying school supplies for their kids!
By clothing at second hand stores, use a reusable lunch box, buy recycled products & recycle the incoming papers that you get daily!
I shop for clothes at the Salvation Army and I also donate all our gently used clothes. I also try to cut down on packageing waste and put lunches in tupperware containers.
This is a little thing, but before my brother went to school as a college freshman, I repaired an old backpack of mine for him (the strap had come loose). That pack has been through four years of college, and should last for four more! Consider repairing and reusing, rather than looking at school supplies as "disposable".
We use a reusable lunch bag and Tupperware.
hollyspinner(at)yahoo(dot)com
We try to be green in the way we use products as well as how we buy them. One way is to cut waste by convincing our daughters to use both sides of the paper she does her homework on. Also, we use scrap paper for the spelling tests we run through at home, not a clean sheet.
Most of our curriculum is non-consumable. For those things which we will need to reprint and use over and over again (such as timed tests/math drills), we laminate them and re-use with wet erase markers.
We use re-usable containers for lunch. No plastic wrap or zip-locks.
We reuse stainless steel containers for all lunch items, and buy recycled paper.
Let them make their own reusable lunch bags and keep it current to reflect their changing tastes. Walk more.
I buy in bulk and portion on the servings into reusable containers.
I spent the summer searching garage sales for good outfits and we use reusable water bottles
tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com
Buy good quality notebooks. When the year ends, you will find many classes only used a small portion of the book. Tear out those sheets and use it again. Cheap notebooks won't last, but the good ones can often get through several years.
I reuse my water bottles constantly
I am an avid thrift-shopper! Pretty much everything is "pre-owned" which makes me feel good that I'm giving books, clothes, and miscellaneous stuff a second (or third!) life. There might be a stigma when it comes to getting stuff from say, the Salvation Army store, versus a fancy mall, but no one's the wiser when they see you got cool back-to-school threads for only a couple of bucks! It's been the secret to my success :) I haven't been to a mall in years, and hope other people will catch on.
c81280 at hotmail dot com
We like to use recycled notebooks because usually they still have the whole notebook at the end of the year but just filled with writing and there's nothing to do with it but throw it away or recycle it. If we recycle those and buy recycled ones also, I feel much better. Also, we use lunchboxes and reusable food containers in there in place of baggies and paper bags for school lunch time.
doot65{at}comcast[dot]net
Elizabeth
Reusable products, my daughter has a reusable lunch bag, sandwich bag and snack container.
Homemade lucnhes using re-useable containers and lunchbox.
My friends and I always trade back and forth our kids clothes. If someone has a new baby, we share instead of buying a bunch of new stuff that they'll grow out of quickly. We do that with the older kids too...(it's harder with teenagers!)
jjbianchi2007[at]yahoo[dot]com
For the kid's school snacks I use re-usable tuppaware containers rather ziplock baggies. Less garbage, more organic, and I can personalize their own little snack holder with their names.
sparkofutterance@hotmail.com
I shop second hand shops, wash baggies out and hang clothes out to dry.
erma.hurtt@sbcglobal.net
Reusable napkins and linens is a good tip so we don't keep creating more waste!!
:)
Toni_jeans@yahoo.com
I try to use the fronts and backs of notebook paper and not grind my pencils up in the pencil sharpener and encourage my family members to do this too! senekers@comcast.net
sigg water bottle, no sandwich baggies, dino lunch box, so no brown bags, we are big on being as green as we can. Great contest
we recycle, ie reuse items year after year (when possible),buy at consignment and use hand me downs, and donate everything my kids outgrow
Pack lunches all in reusable containers in a reusable lunch box.
Clothes are so expensive and outgrown quickly. Our babysitting co-op has a garage sale twice a year to swap kids clothes.
reusable water bottles are so useful!
I shop at Goodwill for the jumpers that are part of my daughter's uniform because she's tall for her age and they have all the big kid sizes long after most stores are sold out of them.
I also save the piles of flyers and paper that she brings home on the first day of school and use the blank sides in my printer so I don't waste paper.
-A. Ashley
tonylethal@aol.com
Buy local. Recycle, reduce, reuse! Spending a little more for a quality product that will last will help save money in the long run and help the environment.
My two favorite tips:
Bike/walk if you can!
Shop at a thrift store: I buy wonderful brand-name clothes for $1-2 and estimate that I save at least $200 a year this way.
I buy organic clothes for back to school. My children carry reusable water bottles. I buy recycled paper products and I recycle markers. garrettsambo@aol.com
Use tupperware not plastic bags
hetz-junk(at)hotmail(dot)com
cloth lunch bags
luckydolls123[at]verizon[dot]net
Walk to school instead of driving
Shop thrift stores and garage sales for hand me down clothes. Most look new and once you wear new ones they're used anyway.
Shop thrift stores and garage sales for hand me down clothes. Most look new and once you wear new ones they're used anyway.
My teen granddaughters have always enjoyed shopping for retro clothing. This year they discovered Plato's Closet which is an excellent place to shop for gently used (sometimes new) clothing and accessories. (For guys too.)
I like that the kids take reusable water bottles to school!
Always reuse school supplies from years past and only buy what you don't already own.
mens hankies work as great napkins. more eco friendly than paper ones, and more economic than nice linen ones.
metrofmcat(aol)dotcom
Re-use everything if you can and Conserve water
Use recycled paper in binders, and buy recycled paper notebooks.
use tupperware containers instead of sandwich bags, also instead of paper bags get them a lunch box or a lunch sack
We use lunch sacs instead of paper bags, sandwich containers instead of plastic baggies and juice goes into the thermos instead of juice boxes.
We try to use reusable items in the lunchbox. I hope you have had a safe and happy holiday weekend!
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this giveaway!
Recycle wheneverpossible.
donna444444@yahoo.com
We use recycled paper when possible.
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