As parents wait for a resolution to the teachers’ labour dispute, it’s time to start thinking about school supplies. For those of you with kids in private schools, that time is definitely now.
For environmentally conscious parents and kids, there are plenty of eco-friendly options in Vancouver. Just be prepared to pay a little extra for green products.
Paper products
For all things paper there are several options. Sustainable Earth, by Staples makes sturdy, lined paper and notebooks created with 80 per cent sugarcane waste. (Don’t lick it — it tastes nothing like sugarcane.) Hilroy, available at most big box stores around town, makes recycled, ruled sheets that contain a minimum of 30 per cent post-consumer, recycled material. For those pesky pocket folders that seem to disappear into the ether, or locker, there are 100 per cent recycled Earthwise Oxford Glossy twin pocket folders, in various colours, found at Staples.
These days kids need reams of computer paper. Watch for paper at your favourite retailer that is Forest Stewardship Council certified, which means the wood used to make the paper was taken from a “well-managed” forest.
Every high school supply list these days has Post-it notes on it. Post-it has Greener Notes that use recycled paper and plant-based adhesives.
For older kids who like to stay uber-organized, there are natural file folder options such as the letter-sized folders from Pendaflex Essentials. They are unbleached and dye-free.
These items are carried at many office supply retailers such as London Drugs and Future Shop.
Book covers
Fabric book covers are a great way preserve textbooks. Creative kids could make book covers from old clothes, but if that isn’t going to happen, Box Sox offers several colours and sizes. Again, they can be found at Staples.
Lunch containers
Many schools encourage kids to bring their lunches in reusable containers to reduce garbage. Stainless steel is a long-lasting option readily found at grocery and drug stores, but plastic containers made with fewer harmful chemicals are a cheaper choice. Sistema has a colourful selection of BPA-free lunch carriers including a snack container with separate compartments, so foods don’t touch. Water bottles that are BPA-free and can be put in the dishwasher are available at retailers such as Mountain Equipment Co-op and London Drugs. There are also glass water bottle options, such as those from Your Water Matters at 2539 Laurel St., but kids and glass don’t always mix well, so these may be best for careful teens.
To hold the organic, kale-inspired lunches, My Little Green Shop at 1010 Burnaby St. sells printed organic cotton lunch bags.
Tools of the trade
These days there are many brands of eco-pencils including Wopex eco-friendly pencils that are processed with less tree waste, available at Wal-Mart. For pens, there is the refillable Pilot BeGreen Tecpoint Rollerball Pen, found at Staples, which has a barrel made of 89 per cent recycled plastic.
Glue sticks are a staple of every grade. Elmers has an Earth Friendly school glue, found at Wal-Mart, with a container made from 25 per cent recycled plastic. Its labels are printed on FSC certified paper and the packaging is made from 100 per cent recycled paperboard.
For kids who aren’t perfect, Bic has a new Wite Out “ecolutions” correction tape, found at Future Shop, that has a container made from plant-based materials, instead of petroleum.
To carry the supplies, My Little Green Shop has some cool options. They carry pencil cases made from organic cotton and backpacks made from recycled water bottles.
