With only just over 3 weeks until the schools go back, it’s time to start thinking about stocking up on essential “Back to School” supplies and uniform for the start of the next school year. Green school supplies and uniforms are starting to make it into the mainstream, so with a little bit of forward planning, there’s no reason why you can’t choose the greener options.

Uniform

Marks & Spencer have a Fairtrade range of white school shirts and polo shirts for boys and girls. They are reasonably priced and available in larger stores and online. They have also announced a new range of uniform basics made of recycled plastic bottles.

Spirit of Nature stock a range of Fairtrade and organic cotton school uniforms for younger children (up to 8yrs).

Clean Slate is an independent Fairtrade and organic cotton school uniform supplier. Clean Slate work with schools to supply Fairtrade and organic embroidered uniform, and encourages co-operative buying clubs to reduce prices.

If your school has a second hand uniform shop you may be interested to know that buying second hand is as eco-friendly as you can get when it comes to school uniform. If it doesn’t, have a look at Uniform2 to see whether any parents from your school have used school uniform available for sale.

School bags

For the littler ones, ECOutlet do a very sweet recycled children’s backpack. The backpacks are produced and traded according to fair trade principles by a women’s co-operative in The Philippines, made of unbiodegradable foil juice packaging.

For those with more books and homework, Natural Collection have a range of amazing adult sized backpacks made of recycled plastic bottles. The bags are water repellent, perfect for walking home from school.

Lunch bags & containers

The Ethical Superstore sells a lunch bag made of recycled juice packs. With a wipe-clean lining and strong handles. It was Voted Lunch Box BEST BUY by the Independent newspaper.

Laptop Lunches Bento Lunchboxes are a great way of reducing the packaging needed for packed lunches, and make it easy to include healthy options.

Stationery

There is a good selection of back to school stationery at Natural Collection. You’ll find recycled pens made of car parts, recycled pencil cases made of car tyres, recycled pencils made of CD cases and plastic cups, and many other useful products.

Ethical Superstore sells wooden gel pens made of FSC wood from managed forests and notebooks made of recycled plastic bags.

Forget batteries, get a water powered calculator from Nigel’s Eco Store.

Useful websites

Eco-Schools
Sustainable Schools
SUSchool

Eco-friendly PTA fundraising ideas

• Open a second hand uniform shop – parents can donate outgrown uniform to the school, who can sell it to other parents who would rather buy second hand. Good for the environment, and good for parents’ pockets.
• Collect mobile phones and printer cartridges – raise money by collecting mobile phones and printer cartridges to be recycled with Recycool.
• Collect second hand clothes and shoes – Recycling Champions will collect clothes, textiles and shoes from your school and pay you for them.
• Sell wheelie bin stickers with a recycling message – Wheelie Bin Art do some very cool stickers for wheelie bins, and pay your school for each sticker sold.

Sponsor: Green People is offering FREE POSTAGE on their organic skin and hair care products, men’s products, sun lotions and baby products to all UK customers during August 2007

Popularity: 3% [?]