Going back…in Green

 

BY JENNIFER JANSEN

As the nights start to get a little cooler, and the tomatoes start to turn from green to red, many of us start to think of that blissful (or slightly teary) day in the not to distant future – the day when the kids go back to school!

For the first time in more than nearly two decades (ack!) I’ll be heading down to the end of the driveway to wait for the big yellow school bus come September.  Of course it won’t be me getting on the bus this time, but my newly minted 4 year old, who is heading off to Junior Kindergarten in the fall.  I have a new life ahead of me, one that involves making lunches and permission slips, homework and school supplies.

And as per usual, I’m on a mission to do it all in the most environmentally friendly way possible, while still trying to go easy on the pocket book.  One of the biggest and best ways to “go green” with back to school shopping is in the lunch department.

Litterless lunch campaigns are becoming popular at schools all over the country.

School lunches are one of the largest waste generators in our schools today.  I couldn’t find any Canadian statistics, but I imagine they’re similar to this:  the typical American school kid generates 67 pounds of discarded school lunch packaging waste per school year. That’s more than 18,000 pounds yearly for the average-sized elementary school.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

There are tonnes of options now as far as reusable lunch containers.  Not only will you be saving the planet, but you’ll be saving money in the process.  Fenigo, a Kitchener based company, has a great website that lays out each of the most popular choices for litter-less lunches, and all the accessories you could dream of!  If you’d rather see your choices up close and personal, some of the most popular options are available locally:

• Laptop Lunches (available locally at Noinkees in Orangeville) are a bento box style plastic container system.  BPA, phthalate and lead free, they come in different sizes to suit your child’s individual needs, and can be mixed and matched; Go Green lunch bags as well (see picture at right)
• Lunch Bots (available locally at Wee Needz in Orangeville) are a stainless steel container system that comes in 4 different sizes, either compartmentalized or open.  These are wonderful if you prefer the durability of stainless steel
• GoodByn Lunchboxes (available locally at Cardboard Castles in Creemore) are a one piece box with a lid and a handle, which opens to reveal six individual compartments.  These are fun designed containers that come with sheets of dishwasher safe stickers that your children can personalize their lunch box with.  They include a drink container that fits right into the box, or can be filled with water and frozen for an instant ice pack
• When it comes time to pack your kid’s lunch up in a bag, consider this local Orangeville Mompreneur – Christine Taylor Quilts makes a great insulated lunch bag, in your choice of fabric.  She also offers reusable snack bags in different sizes, so you can kiss those pricey ziplock bags goodbye!

While you’re shopping for lunch containers, don’t forget a reusable drink bottle, cutlery, and even a cloth napkin.  And of course, when it comes time to pack that lunch, skip the pre-packaged, sodium-laden convenience foods and go for wholesome, home-made, healthy snacks.

While nothing makes quite the impact as litter-less lunches do, there are a few other ways to green up your back to school shopping.

When you’re shopping for bigger ticket items like backpacks, think longevity. A well-made, generic backpack that will last through three or four years will save you more money in the long run than a cheap bag with the character of the moment on it, and will keep more garbage out of the landfills.  Buzz and Woody may not be cool by the time next September rolls around, and even if your backpack isn’t falling apart, you may be stuck with a bag that no one wants anymore, that’s destined for the dump.

The same goes for clothes – while it’s always tempting to buy the most stuff for the least amount of money, try to spend the money on at least a few good quality wardrobe staples that will last a season or two, or can be passed along to a younger sibling.

When shopping for school supplies, look for notebooks and paper made from recycled content, the more the merrier.  Pencils can contain a high amount of recycled content too, and pens that have refillable ink are a great option. Better

yet, skip the shopping altogether and gather supplies from around the house…you’ll likely be amazed at how much stuff you already have if you take the time to look for it! And while it may not necessarily help the planet, labelling everything you send to school will hopefully save you the cost of having to replace a pair of shoes here and a hat or scarf every winter.  Mabel’s Labels will make sure that your kid’s stuff comes home with your kid only, and doesn’t end up in the lost and found, or worse, the garbage!

It’s never too early to start teaching our kids about the big difference that their small actions can make, and greening up your back to school shopping is certainly one of those small effort/big reward types of actions.  Get your kids in on the fun – let them choose their favourite reusable lunch containers, pick the fabric for their lunch bag, and let them know why what they’re doing is important.  Your kids, your wallet, and the planet will thank you!