Sustainable School Supplies

When you’re shopping for the basic supplies for your classroom, look for Earth-friendly options. Here are some examples:

• Choose paper that has been processed chlorine free (PCF), to avoid dioxin and mercury pollution from the bleaching process, and choose the highest percentage of recycled post-consumer waste (PCW) available.
• Opt for folders and binders made of recycled cardboard and paper instead of PVC or other plastic products.
• Find recycled pencils, recycled plastic pens, soybean crayons, and nontoxic unscented markers.
• Pick paperclips, scissors, and other incidentals made with recycled materials.
• Use the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool found at www.epeat.net to help you select the most environmentally friendly computer for your classroom.

Green office and school supplies are becoming increasingly available through major retailers, but you may still run into difficulty depending on your location. Shop online and you’ll find everything you need and products made from materials you never would imagined, like paper made from bamboo. Make your purchased “speak” to your students by posting signs by each item that explain what they’re made of and how that’s better for the planet.