Back to School, Sustainably: Our Favorite Eco-Friendly School Supplies
Summer is winding down, and that means the kids are already heading back to school! But before you start checking off your shopping list, remember, your kiddo’s school supplies are often made of plastics. Even if your child’s teacher provides a list of required supplies, it’s important to look for safer, more sustainable items whenever possible — especially for items your child uses every day.
So, to help your family reduce plastic use, we’ve created this guide with our favorite eco-friendly school supplies; plus, tips for encouraging teachers not to make plastic products mandatory. Rrrriiinnnggg! Class is in session…
Plastic-Free Water Bottles & Lunch Containers
At the very top of our list of back to school essentials are the perfect supplies to hold lunch, snacks, and water! So, get your kiddo the best reusable, eco-friendly products, such as the Pura Stainless plastic-free water bottles and lunch containers! These sustainable items are made entirely of stainless steel and medical grade silicone. Of course, each and every Pura product is Made Safe® Certified, free of over 80,000 toxins!
Plantable Paper & Pencils
Did you know, there are plantable pencils? With Sprout, your child can embrace their creativity while using colored pencils with seeds inside. When the pencils get down to the stub, kiddos can reconnect with the natural world by watching their very own garden grow! Pass on the inspiration by gifting your child’s teacher a teacher’s pack of Sprout World’s pencils or Green Field Paper Company’s plantable seed paper to encourage them to see the joy sustainable school supplies can bring to their classroom.
Eco-Friendly Paper Products
Instead of regular paper, why not choose something that’s more fun for your kids and the planet? Decomposition makes stunning notebooks made of 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper and printed with soy ink. Made for all ages and styles, you can choose the sizes and types of paper that work best for your child, including blank, wide ruled, college ruled, grid, and dotted. They also feature incredible personalized designs that kids will love like kittens in space, dogs and bubbles, dinos and construction, pink jellyfish, and more!
Plastic-free Packs & Pouches
Skip the plastic pencil boxes and synthetic backpacks. Instead, opt for fibers made of natural materials like cotton or canvas for backpacks, pouches, laptop cases, and more. We love the eco-friendly products from Terra Thread. They are ethically made with GOTS-certified organic cotton in fair trade certified factories, which prohibits using toxic chemicals during processing, supports sustainable supply chains, and protects workers. We recommend their school backpack, or mini backpack for little ones, and pencil pouches. When you purchase, you are also helping kids and families in need through Feeding America.
Eco-Friendly Crafting
Sometimes, it is really simple to avoid unnecessary plastic waste. For example, glue can be made of flour and water! We recommend offering to bring small glass jars and paint brushes to your child’s classroom to encourage your child’s class to try it out. If the teacher insists on using “normal” materials, try Onyx + Green’s variety of natural glues and adhesive tapes. While you’re shopping, they also have eco-friendly scissors with handles made of biodegradable corn plastic!
Sustainable Art Supplies
Art should always be safe and healthy! Luckily, you can swap toxic paints for products from Honeysticks, made of beeswax. We love their non-toxic beeswax crayons and watercolor paints but you can explore the rest of their site to find paintable posters, coloring books, and other fun eco-friendly products that your little one will love. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, check out Eco-Kids innovative art supplies like finger paints made of organic fruit and vegetables extracts, milk paint made of powdered milk and mineral pigments, and paintbrushes made from wool and bamboo.
At Pura Stainless, our mission is to help your family reduce plastic use to live healthier, more sustainable lives. We hope this roundup of eco-friendly school supplies helps inspire you to clean up your back to school shopping list to make this school year more sustainable for your little one’s health and the planet’s. Don’t forget to shop our 100% plastic-free water bottles and lunch containers by visiting our website. Once your list is checked off, we encourage you to send this blog to the other parents you know to start getting them excited to embrace a healthier future for their kids!
You can find the links to all the sustainable school supplies here:
