Happy back to school season! We all know the best part of August is shopping for school supplies. For the planet-conscious folks, though, this can be a bit tricky. Trying to save the trees, ditch plastic, and shop sustainably may seem like a challenge when all of the supplies readily available to you don’t check off your criteria. Whether you’re shopping for elementary school kids or getting ready to jet off to college, we’ve got a list for you of all our favorite brands focused on eco-friendly options for the home, dorm room, and classroom. Check them out!
In the Backpack:
1. Sustainable Notebooks: All you need is a few of these Decomposition notebooks made out of 100% post-consumer-waste recycled paper and you’ll be good to go!
2. Wood Pencils: A pencil that turns into a plant when you’re done with it? Yes please. Once you’ve finished your Sprout Pencil, plant it in soil and watch it grow into herbs, flowers, or even vegetables.
3. Bamboo mini stapler: Helping you keep it all together!
4. Natural eraser: So your little mistakes don’t result in more rubber and plastic waste! Pretty snazzy.
5. Cotton pencil cases: So your best tools stay nice and snuggly. ;)
6. Upcycled Backpack: Looking for a new backpack? Buy one made from upcycled materials. Rareform offers various styles and sizes of backpacks, totes, and duffel bags that are made from used billboard linings that would’ve otherwise been sent to landfills.
In the Classroom:
1. Non-Toxic Crayons: Honey Sticks makes 100% beeswax crayons that are all-natural and packaged plastic-free in 100% recycled paper. Allow your kids to get creative while being safe for themselves and the planet.
2. Silicone Snack Bags: Prep all of your kiddie’s snacks for the week in reusable snack bags from Stasher. They’re dishwasher and microwave safe and endlessly reusable.
3. Eco Cleaning Tools: Keep your classroom squeaky clean with all natural and eco-responsible cleaning tools.
4. Wheat Straw Tissues: These wheat straw tissues not only are un-bleached but will also turn into soil when composted!
5. Bamboo Dry Erase Board: Instead of wasting endless amounts of paper, write out your agendas and to-do lists on a reusable bamboo dry erase board.
6. Plant based glue sticks: Every good craft session needs a handful of glue sticks to make magic out of construction paper. These babies are non-toxic and rock our world.
In the Dorm Room:
1. Zero-Waste Bathroom Kit: Make it easy to go waste-free in your bathroom routine with this all-in-one eco-friendly bathroom kit. It has it all –– from cotton bamboo rounds to an antibacterial bamboo brush.
2. Cork Laptop Sleeve: Protect your tech with this super sleek and all natural cork laptop sleeve.
3. Sustainable Bedding: Dress up your dorm in sustainable bedding. Coyuchi offers bed and bath sets that are chemical-free, dye-free, and made with organic farming.
4. Recycled Paper Wall Calendar: Keep track of big tests, university events, and finals week all in one place.
5. Phone Case: Stop covering your phone in plastic cases. Instead try a Pela Case, which is a 100% compostable phone case that protects your phone and the planet by keeping plastic out of our landfills and oceans.
No matter where you or your family members are in your educational journey, we hope this list helps you out in your school supply search. Happy back to school, Droppers!