"Need" New Stuff for School?

It's tradition to get new things for the new school year. Even after you're "grown up" you feel the tug to do some shopping when the weather starts to change to autumn. Maybe it's even a little bit of ancestral instinct to stock up for the winter.

We always get new things to start the school year too. By the time my kids got to high school we’d figured it out. We’d get a few things to start the school year, and finish the back to school shopping later. That way we had a better idea of what was really needed for the year, and what the styles were. No more coming home after the first day of school to report that the new coat we loved a couple of weeks ago, well, maybe isn't really that great after all. It's also less crowded to do the “back to school” shopping a couple of weeks later. I especially like that part.

With any new purchase there’s another consideration from a green living perspective – does the old stuff need replacing? If so, is there a more "green" alternative to the old item? I work daily outside the home, so I’m always ogling (they have ogling in spell check, amazing) lunch containers and bags and purses. My daughter thinks It's a little weird, but really it’s just searching for the ideal bag. You know - one that will hold everything including an umbrella and a water bottle but not be too big, have pockets but not too many, not too heavy, oh, and switch from a purse to a backpack for lunchtime walks. Do you think I’m asking for too much? (I should have a link for you here - but I haven’t found the perfect bag yet.)

Since my brain is always thinking environmentally, I sometimes have to stop and say whoa, as much as I really want a cool new environmentally sound lunchbox (or whatever, boy do I see cool stuff doing this blog!) there’s a problem with that – my old one’s still fine! Don’t be throwing out perfectly good stuff to switch to something more eco-conscious! Defeats the purpose you see.

When you’re ready to replace something give it away, sell it at a yard sale, a thrift shop, recycle it or if you have to, throw it away after salvaging any reusable pieces. Then replace it with something that will last!

So, when you’re ready, a good place to start is by looking at the offerings through the links to the ULTIMATE GREEN STORE or NUBIUS ORGANICS on the sidebars of this site. The Ultimate Green Store even has paper products, like notebooks and pads, that are made of renewable resources instead of trees. I'm not telling you any more, you'll just have to check it out for yourself.

Share your finds with us - here's one I love - a STAINLESS STEEL LUNCH KIT! Happy Green Shopping!