Your Go To Guide For Eco Friendly Back to School Supplies and Tips For a Sustainable School Year 

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The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to start new habits and discover eco friendly back to school supplies and tips for a greener school year!

Set the tone for this school year by choosing at least one tip on this list to focus on and incorporate into your life. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to cover the entire list. Trust me, it will be stressful.

Making small changes is more sustainable and will not shock your kiddos as they are adjusting to a new school year and your new eco friendly habits as well. 

This post is all about the best eco friendly back to school supplies and tips.

Tips For an Eco Friendly Back to School Season

1. Carpool, walk, bike etc. if possible

Luckily, most school systems have public transportation available i.e. busses but you may be surprised to hear that buses are not available everywhere! Especially for private schools or sometimes charter schools.

On top of that, school buses are definitely not available for many students that are staying after school for clubs, sports or tutoring services. Because of this, the emissions that come from transportation to and from school ends up being enormous!

In order to cut back on these transportation emissions that are causing disastrous effects on the environment, consider taking more eco friendly options to cart your kids around this year! 

Carpooling with neighbors can help not just with climate change but also building relationships and community. If you are in biking, walking, or scootering distance you can of course enhance yours and your children’s health by including extra steps in your day.

Of course everyone’s situation is different i.e. work schedules, rural living, access to bikes etc. but even if a couple days per week you can use a more eco friendly transportation option, we encourage you to do so! 

2. Add more plant based snacks-don’t have to go fully vegan!

Have you read a lot of information about how important plant based diets are to the climate change movement but aren’t so sure you want to go completely vegan or transition your whole family? 

Consider just adding more fruits and vegetables to your kiddos meals! 

Check out this post that covers all the best store bought plant based snacks. Incorporating healthier options doesn’t mean you need to start your own garden and eat fully raw. There are pre made options you can throw in your kids school lunches for back to school as well! 

3. Commit to Using a Reusable water bottle

Single use water bottles really make no sense at this point! There are so many adorable reusable water bottles you can stock up on that kids can just refill throughout the day and throughout their after school activities. 

Cut back on all of the plastic pollution and simply make the investment on a reusable water bottle.

{RECOMMENDED POST: 13 Kind of Healthy Store Bought Vegan Kid Snacks They Will Actually Eat} 

4. Invest in an Eco friendly backpack

I really can’t speak more highly about the quality of Terra Thread bags. These simple bags are perfect for back to school because they will withstand your kiddo tossing them around and the weight of all of the books and supplies. The best part is that they are also super easy to clean.

They come in solid colors so they are easy to carry over to the next year or pass along to someone else when you are done using them. Yes they are an investment purchase but they also will not fall apart after one school year!

Durability is so incredibly important in the sustainability realm because that means less items that end up in the landfill. 

Why we love Terra Thread: 

• B Corp certified
• Fair trade certified cotton
• Fair trade certified factory 
• Carbon neutral 
• Regenerative organic certified 

You can learn more about Terra Thread here! 

5. Zero waste school supplies

You may be surprised to know that there is generally a good selection of school supplies at thrift stores! I have seen brand new notebooks countless times.

I encourage you to make a stop there before going out and buying new, and yes even new sustainably made school supplies. 

Check out the post below for specific eco friendly supplies!

{RECOMMENDED POST: 11 Unique Sustainable Office Supplies for a Greener Workspace} 

6. Encourage your kids to join garden club, zero waste club, little vet club etc.

Maybe you don’t have the extra time to pack a vegan lunch or the extra cash to buy a sustainably made backpack. 

Consider signing your kids up for a school club that is centered around sustainability. This extra exposure to science, sustainability, agriculture, animals etc. could instill in them a passion for taking care of the earth and those that inhabit it. 

7. Host a clothing swap for sustainable back to school clothes, supplies and toys

Kids outgrow things. We all know this. So why not get a group of families together for a back to school party and swap some items that your kiddo no longer needs but another family could get a lot of use out of! 

Starting habits like community care and ensuring items go to a good home and not the landfill are great ways to teach compassion to your kids early on.

{RECOMMENDED POST: The 5 Best Sustainable Notebooks For School, Work and Journaling} 

Do you have any eco friendly back to school tips to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you would like sustainability and wellness tips sent directly to your inbox!

Stay well, 

Maggie 

This post was all about eco friendly back to school tips and supplies.

Other posts you may like: 

The 5 Best Sustainable Notebooks For School, Work and Journaling

How To Create a Calming Classroom Environment That Your Students Love to Learn In

13 Practical Eco Friendly Teacher Gifts They Will Adore

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