Issues > September/October 2004 (#104) > Retooling for School: an Eco-Checklist

Retooling for School: an Eco-Checklist

When you're dishing out those back-to-school bucks, make sure your child's education isn't also costing the environment. Today, there are green alternatives to almost everything from sneakers to paper clips, many from mainstream companies.

Clean Lunches

Choose containers that will not leach toxins into food and drink.

*Skip these plastics:
#3 (PVC/phthalates: hormone disruptors)
#6 (polystyrene/styrene: possible human carcinogen)
#7 (polycarbonate/bisphenol-A: hormone disruptor)

*Look for petrochemical-free, biodegradable cutlery, cups, food containers and storage bags made from recycled paper, corn or potato starch, sugar cane or sustainably harvested trees. By Chinet, Earthshell and Biocorp (www.greenearthofficesupply.com). Some need to go to municipal composters with higher temperatures than your home bin. For composters in your area, see www.cargilldow.com/ corporate/pdf/compost_ facilities.pdf.

Reusable, non-leaching thermoses and plastic cups can be cleaned easily and give your child an alternative to soft drinks and bottled water. Good bets: Rubbermaid's #5 plastic Chuggable Bottles and stainless steel thermoses by Thermos (www.rubbermaid.com, www.thermos.com) Metal lunch pails of sturdy, reusable steel and tin, such as AsianaWest's sleek stainless steel containers and the tin Dome lunchbox (shopping.yahoo.com)

Wearables

Choosing organic cotton helps keep pesticides out of our waterways. And you can support improved working conditions by choosing fair-trade apparel.

*Sweatshop-free: TS Designs T-shirts are all-organic cotton with water-based printing (336-229-6426, www.tsdesigns.com) No Sweat Apparel's T-shirts and sweats (877-992-7827, www.nosweatapparel.com) American Apparel T-shirts, sweats, skirts and shorts (213-488-0226, www.americanapparelstore.com)

*Certified Organic: Patagonia's great kids' activewear: T-shirts, tanks, capris (800-638-6464, www.patagonia.com) Maggie's Functional Organics for all ages (www.organicclothes.com) Earth Wear Organic Cotton Originals (423-894-3674, www.earth-wear.com) Garden Kids lines for toddlers (541-465-4544, www.gardenkidsclothing.com) Nike's organic cotton sportswear for girls (www.nikeorganics.com)

*New, Improved Shoes: Adidas, New Balance, Nike, Puma and Reebok are eliminating PVC and reducing VOCs in their shoes, and allowing third-party monitoring of labor conditions. No Sweat Apparel's shoes are union-made. (See the Shoe Product Report.)

Bags and Backpacks

Choose PVC-free:

*Hemp Field and Passport Bags, Hemp Sisters, Inc (www.hempsisters.com).

*Recycled Rubber Back Packs (800-327-8449, (www.greenearthofficesupply.com)

*Vintage Swiss Army Rucksack, reused canvas and leather bags (800-713-4534, www.sierratradingpost.com)

*All brands REI carries (like Jansport, Northface, Victorinox, Marmot) are nylon or polyester (800-426-4840, www.Rei.com)

Paper

Help save forests and lower dioxins: Choose recycled, chlorine-free paper and show your children how to print double-side and reuse single-sided sheets. Look for the highest possible percentage post-consumer-content recycled paper. See the Paper Product Report.

*Ecology Premium Legal Pads with Recycled Paper, 100% recycled 35% post-consumer (877-677-7015, www.cleansweepsupply.com)

For 100% post-consumer content with no chlorine bleaching:

*New Leaf Everest writing paper (888-989-LEAF, www.newleafpaper.com)

*Envirographic 100 copy bond paper (www.treecycle.com)

Or go tree-free with

*Dolphin Blue tree-free paper (www.dolphinblue.com), made from denim, hemp, kenaf and old money; 100% recycled, 20% post-consumer fiber (800-932-7715).

Paperholders

*Mead recycled wirebound notebooks use 50% recycled paper, 30% post-consumer fibers (www.officedepot.com).

*Samsill recycled pressboard binders have 30% post-consumer fiber (www.greenearthofficesupply.com)

*Globe-Weis 100% recycled color file folders, with 40% post-consumer recycled materials (www.staples.com)

Art Supplies

*Everett Pad and Paper Plain Newsprint (50% recycled) and Bienfang Drawing Pad (20% post-consumer material), both at Office Depot

*Look for "no dust" chalk conforming to American Society for Testing and Materials safety standards (800-395-3965, www.greenearthofficesupply.com)

*Soybean Crayons (www.greenearthofficesupply.com)

*Crayola Artista II liquid tempera paint (www.misterart.com)

Little Essentials

*Deskworks recycled, stainless-steel scissors have handles made of 30% post-consumer plastic.

*3M Scotch designer tape dispenser is at least 50% post-consumer plastic.

*Nature Saver Paper clips use 25% post-consumer recycled metal

*3M Post-it recycled paper notes, made of 100% recycled paper fiber with 30% post-consumer content

(All at www.officedepot.com.)

*United 30-quart wastebasket contains recycled steel (www.staples.com).

Pens & Pencils

*Recycled cardboard pens, biodegradable cornstarch pens (www.greenearthofficesupply.com)

*Paper Mate EarthWrite recycled pencils, made from 100% recycled materials (www.officedepot.com)

Computers

12 million PCs are landfilled annually in the U.S., putting neurotoxic lead, mercury and PBDEs at risk of leaching out into the environment. In a recent study, brominated fire retardants, shown in animal tests to cause neurological damage, were found in dust wiped from computers. They're in our bodies, too, accumulating at an exponential rate, according to breast-milk studies in Canada and Texas. Upgrade current machines before buying new, and seek out these better options:

*Computers: Panasonic's Toughbook laptops use lead-free solder and have reduced brominated fire retardants (www.panasonic.com/ computer/toughbook). Apple's PowerBook G4 is EnergyStar compliant and has a metal casing. Apple uses no PBDEs in its products (www.apple.com). Also see the Computer Product Report.

*Disks & Diskettes: GreenDisk recycled 31/2" diskettes and CD-RWs in recycled jewel cases (www.officedepot.com). CD-RWs require special ordering.

*Ink & Toner Cartridges: "Remanufactured" Ink and Toner Cartridges are available at www.officedepot.com and www. staples.com. Send your used cartridges as a tax-deductible donation to The Green Guide for recycling (www.thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=int&s=cartridgecell).