Image: istockphoto.com/kutay tanir
Write the green
When it comes to buying school supplies there are lots of products that will get you top marks in the environmentally sensitive department. For example, make sure you’re only buying top quality, enviro-friendly paper and notebooks. Look for processed chlorine-free (PCF) paper (thereby avoiding the release of dioxin and mercury during the bleaching process) and for the highest percentage of recycled post-consumer waste (PCW) that you can find.
Bind the green
If you’re looking for a way to keep all that paper organized, forget toxic, PVC binders! There are lots of stylish and green alternatives. Abundant Earth and Sustainable Group both sell binders made from sturdy, 35-38% recycled post consumer corrugated cardboard. They’re available in lots of different sizes and when the covers wear out, you can replace them! Wilson Jones, one of the leading business units of ACCO Brands, offers the Tuff Stuff binders made from 100 percent recycled material and 50 percent PCW. They’re available at most Target Stores. You can also find recycled paper binders at Office Depot and Treecycle as well.
A green staple
Free yourself from pesky staples: try a stapleless stapler! This ingenious design cuts out tiny strips of paper and uses them to stitch up to five pieces of paper together. They’re also available in ultra-cute dog and cat designs from Thinkgeek.com
Small is green
How many paper clips have you thrown out in your lifetime? Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest difference. According to a 2003 report by the Steel Recycling Institute, we throw 28.6 million tons of steel into landfills. ACCO Brands, one the largest paper clip manufacturers, now sells recycled Regular and Jumbo Paper Clips. Use them to clip your PCF papers together.
Dung it
Lastly, art class is no place to forget your green lessons! Make sure your sketchbooks are made from 100% recycled paper. Or for something a little different, try an Ellie Poo sketchpad made from 75% post-consumer waste and 25% treated Elephant dung! What a way to make a statement in class!
Meredith Dault is a freelance journalist and broadcaster based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Green Living Blogs
I know with the vinyl ones, the first thing that goes is the corners and then they become dogged eared.
After that they start to fall apart.
I did ask one of the supplier of the cardboard notebooks if you put a book sock on them, will that help. They replied that they thought it will. I am going to buy one and see how long it will take for them to become dog earred, and have to be replaced before I buy alot of them for my kids. I love the idea though but hope they stand up. I don't want to replace the covers every couple of months.
Love to know if anyone tried these yet for their rough and tumble kids.
In addition the recycled vinyl ones listed above are $9 for a 2" binder. In NJ the 2" binders sold for about $5. If you have alot of kids to buy for this can really add up! At least Tuff Stuff is cheaper than another site I saw online that was charging $12 for a similar recycled vinyl binder. anna