Back To School Sustainable

(This applies to office too)

Being sustainable and eco - friendly doesn't only apply at certain places: it applies everywhere.

This includes at home, in travel, at school/work, shopping . . .. any place you go to and anything you use.

So, this year, whether you're going to your first year of college, 10th class/grade at secondary/high school, 7th class/grade at lower secondary/middle school, or even 4th class/grade at elementary/primary school, or any of those years where you need to bulk up with materials, why don't you consider taking in a new perspective and trying out sustainable, eco - friendly school supplies while still staying in cost limits?

If you're up to the challenge, then let's get to it.

1. Bags, Cases, & Backpacks

First off, of course: bags, cases, and backpacks. They're what hold your materials easily and comfortably and help you carry them around.

So, in order to go beyond these simple needs, it's better to be cool, cozy, and most of all, eco - friendly.

These are some company recommendations for sustainable bags and backpacks:

• Terra Thread. Many products being climate - pledge friendly and carbon neutral, Terra Thread uses organic, sustainable material that benefits the planet. Not only that, but it's also GOTS certified and supports the Feeding America program that helps provide food and lower hunger rates. Its sustainable backpacks are stylish and come in many vibrant colors, and it's over $20 less than $100. (Available on Amazon)

Not only that, but Terra Thread also sells a lead - free pencil case made of organic cotton. It's Fair Trade Certified and Carbon Neutral, too, with great quality and fast shipping.

• Out of The Woods. This company's washable paper backpack is also climate - pledge friendly. It uses Supernatural Paper, paper coming from forests maintained with eco - friendliness in mind. Using no animals in the process yet being washable, water - resistant and fashionable all at the same time, this is a great choice to choose if you're considering a sustainable yet stylish backpack. (Available on Amazon)

• Maika. Maika is a company that is set on making stylish, sustainable bags, from backpacks to tote bags. Most or maybe even all made from recycled canvas with fabulous designs, you can both look modern yet use recyclable, sustainable material at the same time. (Available on Amazon)

• MyCrupon. MyCrupon, OEKO - TEX® and FSC® certified, tries to make sustainable bags while helping preserve forests. Mainly focused on products such as sleeves that protect electronics, you can order a laptop sleeve/bag that is eco - friendly yet does its job. (Etsy -- offsets 100% carbon emissions from shipping and packaging)

• Dell. Dell EcoLoop Carrying Cases are designed with the environment in mind. Using ocean - bound plastics, recycled content, and a responsible dyeing process, these cases are elegant and stylish, yet are very sustainable and Earth - friendly. (Available on Amazon and the Dell website)

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2. Writing Supplies

Writing utensils are very necessary when going to school/office. They help you write, sign, record, design, and document information and other things. Though it might be difficult, you can try to implement sustainability and eco - friendliness into these small yet essential items, too.

But before diving into the subject of brands you can buy from, let's start with this singular, main tip:

Try to lessen the number of pens and paper you use.

Did you know that the world disposes of over a billion disposable pens a year? And even if you use reusable pens, thousands and thousands of ink cartridges are disposed of each year.

So, to reduce that, first try to avoid disposable pens at all costs -- reusable might be worth it.

Second, use wooden pencils more: it's less harmful, plastic - metal waste and more compostable, more eco - friendly waste.

And last, try to reduce the amount of paper you use, especially if you're the type that uses pens more than pencils. Switch more of your work to online. That way, you can still write without waste.

Okay, now back to the brands: Which are sustainable and eco - friendly?

• Onyx And Green. Using recycled materials to package most if not all products, Onyx and Green sells many non - toxic, mostly - bamboo, recycled material pens. By buying this, you can use sustainable pens and mechanical pencils. (Available on Amazon)

• Eco-Haus. Eco - Haus also uses sustainable bamboo, and has high - quality, durable ink. This way, you don't have to keep refilling it with ink as often. There might be some downsides according to some ratings, and a tip: if you want it to be fully sustainable and eco-friendly you might have to be more careful about the packaging. But otherwise, it's a great choice and you're not only being more eco - friendly, you're supporting a small business too! (Available on Amazon)

• PILOT B2P. Pilot B2P makes pens out of recycled water bottles. Having long - lasting, smooth ink and being really sustainable at the same time, you can have some style and quality in your basic writing utensils while being green with the planet. (Available on Amazon)

• GT Luscombe Company, Inc. (only certain product: Bible Dry Highlighting Kit: No Bleed Eco - Friendly Refillable Dry Highlighters) Certified Climate Pledge Friendly by Amazon because of compact packaging, this highlighting kit from GT Luscombe has environmentally - friendly refillable highlighters with comparatively great reviews. (Available on Amazon)

• Nicecho. (Only certain product: Metallic Markers for Black Paper) This product also certified Climate Pledge Friendly because of compact design packaging, is non - toxic and environmentally friendly overall. (Available on Amazon)

• Sprout. Sprout is a company with the innovative idea of plantable, sustainable pencils and eyeliner products. Products either PEFC or FSC certified, Sprout creates biodegradable, non - toxic, sustainable pencils that grow specific plants, like flowers, herbs, vegetables -- you name it! This way, you can get sustainable products and packaging and still have that extra benefit of high-quality pencils and the ability to plant something great for you, pollinators, and basically the whole world! (Available on Amazon)

• ZenZoi. (Specific product: Dry Erase Markers for kids - eco pen) ZenZoi's particular dry erase markers are kid - friendly and eco - friendly. They are non - toxic and use 100% recyclable tube packaging. So, if you ever want a cute set of non - toxic dry erase markers that help the planet, you can consider ZenZoi. (Available on Amazon)

• Ticonderoga. Ticonderoga Enviro - Stiks in particular are made from responsibly managed forests and are PMA - certified non - toxic. They're top quality and very easy to use, so if you're looking for some reliable, environmentally friendly pencils, these pencils are definitely a good choice. (Available on Amazon)

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3. Scissors, Glue sticks, Tape, Rulers, Erasers, Staplers, and Sharpeners

All these side materials, scissors, glue sticks, tape, rulers, erasers, staplers, and sharpeners all help you to make it easier to measure, cut, stick, staple, sharpen, etc., for needs related to items such as pencils and paper. They're a lot of times essential when it comes to school and work needs.

So, just like bags and writing utensils, how about give these extra materials a shot at sustainability?

Let's go for it.

The brands (and products) that might be worth trying:

• Maped Office. (specifically one product: Eco Friendly Recycled Scissors) Made from about 70% recycled plastic, and in around two different colors, you can use comfortable scissors and yet at the same time know that it's partially made from recycled plastic. (Available on Amazon)

• AVERY. (For specific item: AVERY glue Stic, white, 0.26 oz, washable, non - toxic, permanent adhesive) This glue stick is washable and non - toxic. It's ACMI certified and better for us and our planet's health because it doesn't have any toxins or acid. (Available on Amazon)

• Kraft. Kraft Paper Gummed Tape is recyclable, and, at least specified in the LLPT store, ROHS certified. In the RONGDA store, it is also compostable and 100% made from wood pump and starch. This tape is different from many others since it is not made from plastic and is not wasted, thus helping the environment. (Available on Amazon)

• Westcott. (Specific item: KleenEarth Recycled Plastic Ruler with Anti - Microbial Protection, 12") This ruler is created with recycled material and prevents bacterial growth. This means you can help clean not only the Earth but yourself! (Available on Amazon)

• Ticonderoga. (You can find this in the Dixon store) Ticonderoga eraser, pencil - shaped, is PMA - certified non - toxic and is cute. You can use this anywhere, at school, work, etc., and it has great durability and is sturdy to use. (Available on Amazon)

• Plus. Plus's specific product, Plus 31250 Paper Clinch, is durable. But the main part is that it helps staple paper together without staples, eliminating waste and making it easier to recycle the papers you've already stuck together. (Available on Amazon)

• Onyx and Green.

(in fact, you can get many school supplies from here, more than pencils and erasers, and still be environmentally friendly) Onyx and Green's recycled rubber erasers come in three assorted colors, with environmentally friendly and easy to use packaging and sleeves to come along with it.

Something else, too, is Onyx and Green's bamboo - material mini stapler. Coming with exactly 1,000 staplers, it's cute, small, and sustainable.

Finally, Onyx and Green gives out sustainable bamboo double sharpeners. As always, it comes with recycled and recyclable packaging and tries to print with plant - based inks, such as soy ink. (Available on Amazon)

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4. Loose - Leaf Paper, Notebooks, Journals, Index Cards, Sticky Notes, Folders, And Binders

Notebooks, journals, sticky notes, papers, folders, and binders are essential when going to school/ work. They are the places you write and keep your notes, designs, written essays, rubrics, etc.

Applying sustainability to them tells people that you care about the environment and that you put more importance in your office/schoolwork and selection.

Without further ado, let's paper this down about products that are made with the environment and our future in mind:

• KAISA. (This has multiple items)

One, KAISA's Enviroshades Recycled Legal Pads are made of 100% recycled paper. They're there to take notes, and easily rip off for loose leaf necessities.

Two, KAISA's 5 - Subject Spiral Notebook with Storage Divider Pockets and Sticker Notes is made from 100% post-consumer recycled pages. (Available on Amazon)

• Paperage. Paperage Recycled Lined Journal Notebook comes in many different colors. With an inner pocket and bonus sticker labels, this notebook made with premium acid - free recycled paper is a great option for school notebooks, when thinking of note - taking with a recycled touch. (Available on Amazon)

• Blue Lake. Blue Lake ECOLIFE Recyclable Paper 6 - Pockets Expanding File Document Folder is a plastic free accordion folder coming in colors Carolina Blue and Ruby Red. Made of 100% natural fiber and FSC and How2Recycle certified, EPA Zero Waste Principle complying, small - business, climate pledge friendly folder can fit up to 200 sheets of paper, with quality, trendy style. (Available on Amazon)

• Rocketbook. Rocketbook gives out scannable, endlessly reusable notebooks, filler paper, index cards, and planners. Helping you learn digitally and traditionally at the same time, yet allowing you to use the same, clean materials to write on, even with pen, (since you can erase the ink, recommended Pilot Frix ion ink, with a damp cloth) for the rest of your life, Rocketbook creates no single - use paper waste to get a new smart notebook, planner, paper, or a simple card, to reduce your waste by a lot, especially since reusing is more effective and saves more energy than recycling. (Available on Amazon)

• Samsill. Samsill Earth's Choice Biobased Durable 3 Ring View Binder, ranged 0.5 to 5" round ring is made up of about 59% biobased material and 25% plant based renewable plastic. Boards made completely with recycled fiber and USDA certified, this acid - free binder is durable and made to perfectly hold many documents. This is also made from a small business, supporting small as well. (Available on Amazon)

• Post - It Greener Notes. Post - It is a brand that many of us know already. Well, if you haven't heard of it yet, well, guess what? They started this thing called "Greener Notes." Made with 100% recycled material and 67% plant adhesive, these sustainably - certified, recyclable sticky notes are the green way to go for this year! (Available on Amazon)

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5. Electronics

Finally, the last topic when it comes to school supplies: electronics. From earplugs to chrome books, electronics give you access to the digital world, to make it easier to learn, play, study, work, and turn things in.

So, let's get started on the online world of sustainable materials!

• House of Marley. From earplugs to speakers to headphones and turntables, House of Marley, a small business, creates products with great quality, many using bamboo and recycled/recyclable materials. Some is reclaimed organic cotton and a specific earphone product is also climate pledge friendly because of its FSC certification. This company also supports the One Tree Planted organization, planting trees for a better world. (Available on Amazon)

• Earth Bass. Earth Bass's sustainable earbuds are made of bamboo and environmentally - friendly bioplastics. Packaging made from 100% recycled material as well, this is a great option if you're thinking of some completely sustainable, quality earphones. (Available on Amazon)

• Sengu. Sengu's Calculator is Solar Powered and made of bamboo. Durable and sustainable, this, and also Sengu's computer mouse, give health and environmental protection as you use them. (Available on Amazon)

• ZeroPlasticAUS. From phone holders to flash drives, ZeroPlasticAUS recycles plastic to create all sorts of things. But let's focus on one of its products: flash drives. Handmade in Ballarat, Australia, 6 plastic lids are redirected from the landfill to create one 32 GB flash drive. Coming tacked to recyclable packaging, this flash drive (coming in 64 GB as well) is completely eco-friendly. (Etsy -- offsets 100% carbon emissions from shipping and packaging)

• Dell. Again -- back to Dell. To stress out the topic, it's really focusing on more eco - friendly, sustainable ways to create better devices, from the packaging to the device itself. From its Latitude computer model (100% recyclable/renewable packaging and recovered ocean - bound plastics to create, meeting the highest criteria standards according to Global Electronics Council) to its monitors (meeting environmental standards such as EPEAT®, EnergyStar® and TCO, and having eco - conscious packaging) to any of its devices, Dell has sustainable impact goals for 2030 and it's taking it seriously. (Available on Amazon and the Dell website)

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Finally, to sum it all up, there are many options and brands when it comes to picking out office/school supplies. There's a wide range and variability when you want to go sustainable and eco.

Quick tips include:

1. Reuse materials: before buying, see if there any unused notebooks, pens, etc. that you could use for the following school year or for the following office year, etc. If there are, use them instead to sve carbon emissions from being produced for manufacture, shipping, and packaging. If there are only used ones, see if they're not too bad to use and if you only wrote on some pages of that notebook or that pen still has enough ink or if that folder isn't in a horrible condition. Sometimes, you might have tons of these things in stock from the past year you haven't discovered or remembered.

2. Try to shop in - person or from a company that is local or nearer to your area. If the product you want comes from a company based in the other side of the world, you might have to reconsider your options because it might take more time and more carbon emissions to ship.

So, all environmental things in consider, you can turn your Back - To - School shopping spree into a completely sustainable and cleaner one.