Back-to-school is one of the busiest times of years for families who are adapting to new schedules, new activities and leaving the lazy days of summer behind.
Oftentimes when things get hectic, we default to convenience and forget about the sustainability resolutions and promises that we made ourselves. But fortunately, that doesn’t have to be the case with some simple adjustments that are both eco-friendly and convenient.
Buy less, go green
- Shop thrift and vintage: Great news for the environment and our wallets – shopping thrift stores and vintage shops is on-trend for teens. So, back-to-school clothes shopping doesn’t have to mean a trip to the mall or to a mass merchandiser for fast-fashion that we know isn’t environmentally healthy. Check out your local thrift shop for clothes your teens will want and that you won’t mind paying for. Bonus: Giving those clothes a second life saves them from the landfill.
- Reusable water bottles: For kids and teens reusable water bottles are a necessity. Have them pick their water bottle out and customize it with stickers and markers. For them, it’s an accessory. For us, it means fewer single-use plastic bottles.
- Check last year’s supplies: Before you hit the store aisles, be sure to check last year’s backpack as well as any other supplies that were left in a pile in your kid’s room over the summer for binders, markers, folders or spiral notebooks that didn’t get much use the previous year. You’ll be saving money and putting those materials to good use instead of eventually trashing them.
- Go green with the lunch bag: Look for a reusable lunch bag (many are insulated) that your kiddo can use throughout the year instead of tossing a bag every day. As for what to put in the bag, again, the key is reusability. Ditch the plastic baggies for reusable bags or containers to help minimize waste.
Simplify mealtime
With band practices, after-school studying, sports and clubs, back-to-school is no time to spend hours in the kitchen. The important thing is that you’re sitting down to dinner together, not that each meal is an Instagram-worthy feast. And while we’re talking about dinners, simplify prep and clean-up. While paper plates are tempting, disposing of them is not good for the environment. Look for eco-friendly reusable dinnerware that is dishwasher-safe and can be used to heat up foods in the microwave.
Back-to-School sale
As you are prepping for back-to-school, be sure to take advantage of Zungleboo’s Back-to-School sale. Free shipping on all orders in August using the code BTSCHOOL.*
*One use per customer. Cannot be used together with other discount codes or sales.
